Something I have just remembered - a few years ago someone said I should try feverfew. I didn't have much faith in herbal remedies but gave it a try, taking it for one month. Coincidence or not, the migraines were never as severe since. It's definitely worth a try, but people would need to check it's suitable.

Phillynative may actually be on to something here. If indeed up to 75-80% of the adult population are now affected by some form of HPV (due to its rapid spread), this could explain the increased number of headache sufferers in recent years. Techezee hypothesized this in his post on 3/22/10, but there was no follow up from there. Would be nice to know where he obtained his information.

I am a return poster from August 14 and August 29 2010. I’ve continued to follow the message board with great interest and have continued to experiment with all option. Back on October 31, 2009, Glenn2009 posted success for his “cluster” headaches through the use of Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker. I am pleased to say I have joined the Verapamil club, and in my case, it has really worked wonders!

Obviously, what works for me won’t work for everyone. However, in my case, determining the right sort of headache was the key. Many doctors misdiagnose cluster headaches as they are much less common than migraine headaches, particularly for a chronic sufferer as I apparently had become. My doctor was no different, as statistically speaking, he was playing the odds with the symptoms he was presented. Obviously, alcohol triggers both types of headaches and migraines are much more common that cluster headaches.

It would seem the followers of this blog should pay attention to the following to determine if they are suffering from cluster headaches rather than migraine headaches. From my limited understanding of the two, it would appear that one can distinguish a cluster headache as follows: 1) it is unilateral in nature with a pulling or tearing sensation usually behind one eye and virtually always on the same side of the head; 2) it tends to recur at certain times of the day (evening in my case); 3) the sufferer often attempts to seek relief through rapid pacing, running, or vigorous exercise (as opposed to a migraine where one might prefer to lie down in a quiet, dark corner); 4) relief through rapid breathing or oxygen inhalation; 5) the high intensity of the pain (thus referred to as “suicide” headaches); 6) accelerated relief through drinking a couple of cups of coffee combined with aspirin or Ibuprofen; 7) the ability to get beyond a “threshold” or cyclical period whereupon continued drinking no longer causes the intense headaches; and 8) the headaches generally do not linger all night or well into the next day as appears to be the case with many migraine sufferers (although they may “recur” during the late evening or morning hours, most cluster headaches seem to subside after 1-3 hours).

Cluster headache sufferers are more common among drinkers and smokers. Men seem to suffer in much higher numbers than women. I found smoking did not actually trigger or increase the frequency of my headaches, but it certainly reduced the recovery time. After 27 years, I gave up cigarettes (hopefully) for good a few months back. If oxygen to the brain is a remedy for the headaches, I figure depriving the brain of oxygen on a semi-regular basis couldn’t be helping matters. I made the right choice regardless, even though it seemed to do nothing to prevent the headaches from occurring.

From what I have read, the preferred treatment for cluster headaches is Verapamil, with a Prednisone starter for about a week. This is what I requested of my doctor over two months ago now, and it seems to have worked wonders. I have taken the Verapamil with no headaches or discernible side effects since that time.

I am no longer scared to “try” a drink, and I have remained headache free throughout. On a couple of occasions following the first couple of drinks, I have experienced a slight sensation as if a mild headache might be starting, but this simply fades away. I still take two precautionary Ibuprofen prior to drinking. I try to remain active, and try to mix in some high carbohydrate food beforehand. If I can’t eat beforehand, I have found a good starter drink to be a White Russian (just Kahlua and milk without the vodka). I believe this works well because the high carb. content serves as a decent stomach liner. After a couple of these, I can move to other types of drinks with little to no difficulty. I keep the Imitrex on hand, but am pleased to say I have not had to resort to taking a single Imitrex for over two months now.

Verapamil is used as a preventative medication for migraines as well, but I believe it has greater success with cluster headaches. For those that feel they suffer from cluster headaches rather than migraines, you may wish to at least explore this approach with your doctor. I’m truly glad I did!

That's pretty comprehensive jay44111.
Off the top of my (layman's) head, I immediately searched Verapamil here in the UK and got the following:- " ... Verapamil is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and angina (chest pain). Do not stop taking verapamil, without speaking to your doctor first. The most common side effects are flushing (redness of the face), headache and dizziness, but these usually improve after a few days.... "
So, although anything that stops these headaches in their tracks has to be welcomed, for someone like me, Verapamil, would almost certainly have contra-indications (maybe dangerously so) with existing medication of mine.
A really interesting and apparently well-thought-out addition to these posts though. Will obviously add to my collation of everyone's thoughts and remedies (as soon as I can press on with it), but it would appear to be VERY worthy of a cautious individual assessment first, do you not think?

I've been trying everything (as mentioned in previous post) to no avail - my migraines were getting to be more days of the month than not. Since that post I had also quit caffeine 100% and that didnt do it either.

I went to the heavy metal toxins doctor and instead of getting tested for heavy metals he recommended a nutritionist. I figured it couldn’t hurt – especially knowing that this is something I haven’t tried yet. The nutritionist asked a bunch of questions and did a few tests and said it could be one or both of these things:

1. My organs (liver, kidney, gall bladder & lymph nodes is what she determined from the tests) are "congested", meaning they're not taking to some of the stuff I put into my body very well (like alcohol).

2. There may be one or more foods that are triggers.

So she had me do this:
1. Do a cleanse for 1 month that is different for each person, but for me it consists of this daily routine:
- A concoction of ½ tsp of each of these medications from BioResource Inc’s Basic Detoxification & Drainage Kit: Apo Hepat (for liver function), Itires (for lymphatic function), and Renelix (for kidney function) in a full glass of water first thing in the morning, at least 15 minutes before breakfast
- A probiotic pill with breakfast and dinner each day
- 3000mg of glycine each day not with food
- at least one quart of water every day
- one quart/day of this mixture: water, juice from one lemon, 1/8 tsp cayenne, and Stevia (optional). It tastes kind of like Crystal Light.

2. Eliminate several things from my diet for one month, and then we’ll reintroduce things one at a time later to see if any of them are triggers. Those things are gluten, dairy and refined sugar. So I can basically only eat protein and produce, and there are several gluten-free alternatives if I feel the need for bread and snacks, so it hasn’t been too bad at all. And it’s been very nice to my waistline.

Here’s my experience so far, about 3 weeks into it:
Two separate days early on – maybe about a week and a half into it, I ate at restaurants where I tried to keep it to protein and produce, but something I had triggered the beginning of the migraine feeling on both days (I think it may have been soy but I’m not sure yet). A simple 20mg-400mg of ibuprofin got rid of it. That is unheard of for me – I typically have migraines for at least 3 days and sometimes have to double up on Maxalt (dangerous).
Now, three weeks into this cleanse & diet I went out to a party and had four drinks over the course of the night (1 whiskey and 3 vodka). Typically that would be a monster of a migraine lasting 3-6 days (I’ve had them up to 14 days long). Not only did I not have a migraine, I didn’t even have a smidgeon of a headache.
This is serious progress. I definitely contribute it to the organ cleanse, and it’s possible that either gluten or dairy are triggers as well – which I’ll find out when we start to reintroduce them.

It’s worth noting that I found this book recently that I’m about halfway through, called Heal Your Headache, that mentions a similar approach – eliminating things from your diet to determine what the culprit might be. The author has been treating migraine for decades, and took the same approach as most docs not knowing how to help their migraine patients, by administering medications (painkillers, Imitrex, etc) and calling it a day. It turns out he started to see the relationships between various food triggers and other triggers (lack of sleep, barometric pressure, hormones) and the headaches, and realized that there is a way to prevent them through determining the triggers. The book goes into a lot of detail, including why sometimes one thing might trigger it one time and not another, and several examples of other cases. It’s fascinating.
His dietary approach also says to eliminate a lot of foods and then reintroduce them to determine the triggers, but they are a bit different than what my nutritionist has me on (he eliminates a lot more things, but not specifically gluten). He also doesn’t mention cleansing the organs first – which I do believe is key in my progress.
What I would recommend for migraine sufferers based on my experience in potentially beating this:

1. See a nutritionist about a cleanse that is right for you
2. Eliminate gluten, dairy, and choose your others from the Heal Your Headache book (some include certain fruits, nuts, soy, etc) for a month. Protein + Produce (meat, vegetables, beans, fruit and brown rice) is what I can eat in my elimination diet.
3. Reintroduce foods one at a time to see what might trigger it. Take note of the other triggers from the Heal Your Headache book that might add to the food triggers to “put you over the top” like lack of sleep, stress, etc.

I do hope others on this list find this helpful. After 10 years of this, and it only getting worse, I’ve been in denial that it might be a food trigger and I’ve ignored this approach. But the cleanse is fantastic (did I mention my waistline?) - maybe that is all I needed, although I assume there may be a dietary trigger as well.

i seem to be allergic to lager beer and cider only 2 pints or cans will start a migraine only found out this 8 month ago i was just wondering what is this tyramine stuff is it in all alcohol and can u get a treatment to combat the affects of tyramine i found out that vodka is ok to drink but not sure if its present in it any help much appreciated... Richie
(vodkas cost me a fortune on a night out lol)

So Two nights ago tied a long island ice tea. Didnt get to finish fully but felt the starts of a minor headache coming, popped an excedrin and went away.

The last night popped 3 mortrins around 830, then too two tylenol allergy pills about 915, began drinking around 10. Drank 6 bud lights drafts no one sing of a headache or migraine. Dont know what combinations worked but something worked. I have not been able to drink like that in more than a year, without getting such a headache and having to stop from being in pain...First time I had light beer too.

Instead of trying to medicate your headaches with aspirin, Advil or Tylenol, try using something like Tylenol SINUS. I have had the exact same thing you have described and a Sinus Headache medication is the ONLY thing that works for me. Good luck

I get this too. I am baffled. I used to drink fine, now am sure I have done damage. I AM 34.,I flush easily and have a stiff neck/throbbing headache from a night of excess. It has been a couple weeks and little to no relief. I googled tholis and found this thread.

I have horrible migraines after drinking everytime now. I have found a great drug that works for me a treat and rids my crippling headache in 30 mins. I know it doesnt work for everyone but you may as well look into it. I am in the UK and buy Imigran. The active ingredient is Sumatriptan. I hope this helps some of you out, it has done wonders for me. I did once read a post by a lady who passed out for 2 hours after taking it though so consult with your doctor first.

This has become a bit of a trans-Atlantic quest now. I am collating all the posts we've had on here over the past three years to see if we can glean some pointers or common factors. At first sight, the oft-used knee-jerk answer of 'well, you're just allergic to alcohol ... live with it' would seem difficult to dispute - but I think we're all coming around to the reasoning that there's a lot more to it than that. Keep the posts coming.

Just for the record, I am now trying ewagner's suggestion of a single Excedrin (a Google search for those in the UK) when I first start drinking and it really does seem to stave off the onslaught that used to follow. If there's any hint of a follow-up, an additional Excedrin seems to finish it off. So ... in my case, it's a mixture of Aspirin and Caffeine - but, as I've said many times before, medication is not the long-term answer as we all know ... even if the above does effect a temporary 'cure'.

Right there with you all. I used to enjoy beer. then, one-by-one I had to cut out all types because of the headache that followed within an hour of a single beer.
I switched to wine - first white had to go, then red for the same reasons.
But I still had my harder liquors, for a while anyway. Gin - out. Vodka - out. Bourbon - out. and finally whiskey. Heck, last drink I had (back in January) was 2 fingers of whiskey, neat and sipped over the course of a night. The next morning I was rewarded with a brutal headache.
I have asked my doctor about this and all he says is, "So don't drink.It may pass as you get older." I'm 41 years old. How much older do I need to be?
All I want to know is "What caused this to happen?"

But most of all, I notice it's the type of beer. Generally, microbrews and beer from Eastern Europe seems to not cause the same reactions as North American beer. So is it because the taps aren't cleaned often enough in America? Or maybe the beer in Eastern Europe is organic but the stuff in North America has additives?

I can only speak from my own experiences but I have had the same type of migraine from standard UK lager and locally made draught beer in Ethiopia, so I tend not to think it's a problem with the alcohol itself.

My approach now is to monitor how meal types prior to drinking affect the outcome. This forum has far more knowledgeable people than me on the chemical processes in the stomach. My hope is to at least find some practical ways to minimize the effects.

To date my "beans and sausages" has been 100% successful but similar variations have not been. My advice is to keep a close eye on the food eaten before drinking.

I am a 39 year old Male who has been suffering from chronic migraine and headaches since the age of 18. I have been researching causes, etc. for many years and I have learned a lot. But the main point is that there is really no cure for these triggers. The only thing you can do is avoid them or just live with the pain. I probably have a list of over 50 triggers that cause headaches/migraines but the strange part is that it just happens Randomly and not Consistently (which drives me crazy why this happens). My three biggest triggers in order are 1) Alcohol, 2) Poor sleeping pattern and 3) Consuming sweet foods (more than a usual dose) prior to sleep.

It is a complete mystery why these triggers just happen without consistency. I can get a migraine from one alcoholic drink one day and just a small headache from five drinks another day. One thing I did notice is that I rarely get headaches/migraines on back-to-back days if I did drink two days in a row. Maybe this is because I have medicine in my system from the day before (i.e. Advil, Excederin, Maxalt)?

Mark46 - I tried the Excederin and/or Advil pre-drinking and it worked randomly but it was not the answer. Maybe my system just got used to it.

One thing that can work from time to time (without taking any pills) to avoid the alcohol hangover, is Water. I don't mean drinking water after alcohol consumption to avoid dehydration. Instead it is the opposite. A while back I experienced with the reverse idea. I decided to chug water all day long (maybe 10 glasses) prior to a night of drinking. I figured that I would try to Pre-Hydrate my system instead of just chugging water after I already drank. I have to admit it does help a bit but still does not cure problem. Has anyone done this before?

I just do not understand why there has not been any solution to this subject after all these years!

I am happy and sad to see that so many others are suffering with the same problem I am. I am a 49 year old woman that started experiencing this issue about 3 years ago. At first the headaches were sporadic, so I simply thought that perhaps I'm just getting older and more prone to hangovers. Maybe the liquor was cheap, maybe I can't drink wine anymore, maybe I shouldn't drink beer. Then I started to realize that the headaches were occurring more frequently and even occurred with very little consumption. Also, they are not hangover headaches, they are sinus headaches. Symptoms usually start during the night when I realize that I am extremely thirsty, I wake up frequently and by morning, the pain behind my right eye is dibilitating, As I struggle with this headache, I notice that my neck is aching and the roots of my teeth on the right side of my mouth are also hurting, I have to conscously focus on not clenching my teeth. These symptoms will last approximately 48 hours. I've tried Advil, Ibuprofen, all types of sinus medications, washing my sinuses with warm salt water, coffee, hot soups, hot sauces, massages, working though it, sleeping it away. Nothing but time seems to help.
Mark46, we are counting on you for a cure. Cheers!

A lot of you may have seen this already - but it's a treatment rather than a reasoned explanation as to why these headaches occur. Nevertheless ... Danish researchers led by Professor Rigmor Jensen have come up with a device that is surgically implanted into the gum in a nerve bundle behind the cheekbone.. Once switched on by a remote control, it transmits electrical signals which can bring total relief from headache pain within fifteen minutes. In the UK, one in seven Britons suffer migraines, one in six have 'recurring heradaches' and one in 1,000 have 'cluster' headaches.
The latter are known as 'suicide headaches' because the instense stabbing pain in the area of one eye can be almost unbearable - and it is this group that has been trialing the kit ... known as the Neurostimulation System. Targeting the same nerve bundle with painkillers has had more limited success.
So ... we may be no closer to discovering what our particular 'brand' of headache is but at least we may be closer to dealing with it whilst we research the problem!

Neecy, if you are regularly thirsty in night or day and already drink appropriate amounts of water - and this thirst pattern is a notable change for you - then you should mention this to your local doctor. best wishes.

Noted your comment on Excedrin. I have started taking 2 paracetamol/codeine tablets one hour before drinking. Six occasions so far - and no headache after 2-4 units of alcohol (beer or white wine). Am prepared to restrict drinking largely to weekend occasions and combine with this medication if that is what it takes.

I'm still in the camp of blood vessel constriction/release being triggered by alcohol as the underlying process for my headaches. others comments on how they don't seem to get heaadaches if they have a drink several days in row fits with that view ie the constriction/release is moderated as alcohol remains in system for that constant period.

PS. Still no sign of a doctor on the Board? Surely someone tempted to blow all our theories out of the water? presumably not - because they worry a) they don't have an answer b) they know headaches have a thousand causes and are probably the worst thing to deal with in their surgery.

I too am happy to find this forum and sad to see that there doesn't seem to be a clear definite answer to the problem. I am 51 yr old male and this started about 3 years ago. It is somewhat random but seems to be getting worse. It is extremely embarrassing to be out with friends or co-workers and have a glass of wine or one beer or a mixed drink and then be so sick with a pounding headache the next day you cant function. The only thing I can report is that I have zeroed in on which triggers are worse and what is actually happening in my case.

Imported Beer, Red Wine are the bad ones for me.

I have better success with Rum, Gin and Tequila. Vodka seems to be hit and miss.

I find that the only thing that heads off a train wreck migraine is the time I stop drinking, taking Motrin or aspirin pre and post drinking and being more hydrated and keeping my sinues open - sometimes even using sinus rinse.

If I have any kind of drink after approx 9 PM, about 2 to 3 hours later I am blessed with a pounding headache centered over my right eye extending down to my right sinus. The headache causes extreme nausea and sometimes progresses to full body sweats. It reminds me of the way I would get "occasionally" in my youth after drinking all night, not eating and not hydrating and being completely hungover for the entire following day. The difference is - I can get there after just 1 drink. It actually feels like an extreme allergic reaction.

For now, I manage the symptoms by trying to stay hydrated, taking sinus meds to keep my sinuses wide open, ending my drinking earlier in the evening, taking aspirin or Motrin before bed and trying to steer clear of beer and wine. I wish someone would solve this issue and develop a handy B Vitamin pill all of us drinkers could take. IS there anything to the B vitamin issue?

I too suffer from the same exact symptoms. I am a 51 yr old male and get excruciating headaches with 1 drink or many - it matters not. I was taking 500mg Niacin (Vitamin B3) as an alternative to cholesterol medication (Zocor gave me headaches). After I began to get these headaches with alcohol about 2 years ago - I presumed it was the Niacin. I stopped taking the Niacin - and I still got headaches when drinking any amount of alcohol. Not sure if Miket5416's question pertains to Vitamin B3 or other B vitamins, but in my case - I've ruled it out as a reducer of headaches - or a contributor. Initially, my headaches were limited to just red wine drinking, but now it is with beer also. I'm not a hard liquor person - so I'm not looking to start. My headaches are mostly fixed with ibuprofen and sleep, and in the morning, they completely disappear with 3-5 cups of coffee.
Pained in Fayetteville.

Complete success! I only have partial success with this, but my best friend who has been a moderate drinker his whole life (until developing these dreaded headaches that we are complaining of) has had complete cessation of symptoms.

We've researched and researched and I believe that the headche is infact an allergic reaction in many ways, or, definiately an intolerance to an amino-acid found in all alcohol; 'tyramine'. The more aged the alcohol - the higher the levels of this amino acid. To process this amino acid our body's require magnesium. Stay with me .....

I decided to start taking magnesium via naturpathic pills, my friend decided to drink 'epsom salts' every morning (cheaper) and larger amounts if he planned on having a drink. I have noticed a drop in both the frequencey and the pain whilst he has had complete success. Going from one glass of red wine causing a 3 day hangover with hedache to drinking pretty heavily (bottle) for a few days in a row and NO headache.
I still use the pain killers as preventatives when I need to - but maybe strong doses of magnesium get to the cause and help our bodies break downs this nasty amino acid.

Why have we developed an intolerance to 'tyrmaine'? Who knows ... maybe we don't absorb magensium as much as we used to? Maybe we are eating more processed foods or jar or tinned foods? Tyramine is very high in anything that is not fresh so perhaps a body reaches a level when it can no longer eliminate the tyramine? Foods high in tyramine is basically any food that tastes good!!! Google it and see.

Everything helps 'meanbrain' - will give it a try after research ... but it definitely sounds unusual enough to be a possibility. I think it's going to eventually prove to be some kind of 'new kid on the block', even if it's not exactly this kid!

Wow. As I was reading Meanbrain's post I was actually in the waiting room waiting to be checked for a magnesium deficiency. This would make a whole lot of sense. I have noticed that magnesium does help a lot with my migraines, I just have yet to try it with alcohol yet because I'm too much of a wuss. Very interesting... Let keep on this one. Will post when I get the lab results back.

Hi, its possible that what I've been suffering from is different, but there enough similarities that I thought I should share. My symptoms included feeling lethargic, but not to the point that I couldn't operate. I have been unable to tolerate missed sleep in anything like the fashion I used to. I'm 35 so my first thought was that I was getting old. But the part that made no sense to me was the onset of severe headaches following even a mild night of drinking (bear in mind I have been a relatively heavy drinker for 15 years and rarely had hangovers).

The headaches post drinking were severe, lasted all day, often were neutralised by sleep but rarely by pain killers. They felt like they went through my head, from behind my right eye, and down the side of my nose and into one of my teeth. This sounded similar to one of the descriptions above..

I was tested positive for mycoplasma.. which is a relatively unknown condition, doctors seem quite unaware of it in many places. Its a type of bacteria which hides from the immune system. t normally turns up in the lungs, so you get a cough to go with it, but in my case it seems to have been in the sinus, with no other symptoms, not even a stuffy nose, or any discharge.

I took a three day course of antibiotics at the weekend which seem to have helped, and had a drink last night (only a couple) and don't have the headache today. Its a bit early to claim its fixed, but wanted to share straight away. I'll come back and update you in a few weeks, but i can't see the harm in testing for mycoplasma, doing some research on it and seeing if it relates to what you are feeling.

One other thing which I've been doing, is a parasite cleanse. Parasites seem to be far more prevelant that I had any idea about, until someone suggested i look into it. Many illnesses that can't be explained are the result of parasites.. though i don't think this headache was a result of one. There are many ways to treat for them which really don't impact your life at all so well worth giving it a go..

Although there are obvious variations - i.e. different sides of head, etc. - the symptoms are remarkably similar in all of us really.
I know I promised a while ago that it was time for me to collate all the symptoms and treatments mentioned since we started this in 2008. A hell of a job but, if anyone has more time than I do at the moment, would they care to do it for me/us?
I will eventually get around to it - but quite a lot to do at the moment.

I Started getting the headaches abut 4 years ago. Im 38 moderate drinker for years. 1 drink and i can feel it comming on right ear pressure to my right eye. My right eye starts to swell shut. It happens more in the spring and summer. No problems in the fall and winter at first. It seems to be getting worse. Tryed drinking 3 weeks ago 4 beers migrane (migraine) for 3 hours, tryed again 4th of july 2 rum and cokes 15 min later bad migrane (migraine). Cant figure it out. I have allergies hay fever , rag weed , and cats. I dont need to drink but it would be nice to figure out the cause. I will try the magnesum next weekend. I hate to be out with friends have a drink or two and go into shut down mode. Dr says allergic to alchol , I say if thaats the case it would happen every time. Any suggestions would be appreciated lets find the cause.

I have the same headache problems. I have always suffered with delbilitating migraines and they are so far untreatable. The doctors do not know what causes them and I get no relief from narcotics, anti inflammatories r any other medecation. I am allergic to all migraine meds and many narcotics. I used to be able to have a couple glasses of wine(white) once in awhile no problem but once I turned 40 I find I now cannot even have a sibngle drink of any kind of alcohol without suffering the same as described debilitating migraine for 2-3 days. I'm currently seeing a rheumatologist and waiting for a neurologist appt. It seems like this is a little more wide spread and not limited to me- I was starting to think I was a freak! Lol

I am 36 and started with migraines about 4 years ago, around 2 years ago i started with real bad migraines following even the lightest of drink i.e. 1-2 glasses of wine. at the time i was on anti depressants and thought it was a side effect. Unfortunately following coming of AD's i found this undesirable side effect remains.

I have a drink, feel fine, go to bed then wake at 2-4 am in the morning with a splitting head, i get up and take migraleave, the pain intensifies and then i start with diarrhoea and then vomiting. this is awful as i can't stop being sick, i mean i cant even swallow my own saliva without sweating profusely and then reaching and reaching to bring it up, this can go on for 5 hours and is sole destroying.

the trouble is there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to when this occurs, some times i may be able to have several drinks and others hardly any. same as other posters I have drank moderately on weekends for the majority of my twenties, now i hardly drink the effect seems worse.

makes me sad because I would like to go out with my uni mates and relax with a couple of drinks but i am afraid it will trigger this migraine syndrome.

To determine if the headache/migraine problem is due to vascular constriction, take a sumatriptan (Zomig, Imitrex, etc. at the onslaught, which is usually after a couple of drinks. My first initial symptom is sinus congestion with dull pain behind the left eye, followed by immobilizing pain over the right eye. I find that taking half of a 2.5mg Zomig at the onslaught will allow me to continue to have a couple more drinks and get a pain free night's rest afterwards. You will be sensitive to temperature for typically up to 12 hours, basically acknowledged when taking a shower or washing hands in hot water..

To determine if the headache/migraine problem is due to vascular constriction, take a sumatriptan (Zomig, Imitrex, etc. at the onslaught, which is usually after a couple of drinks. My first initial symptom is sinus congestion with dull pain behind the left eye, followed by immobilizing pain over the right eye. I find that taking half of a 2.5mg Zomig at the onslaught will allow me to continue to have a couple more drinks and get a pain free night's rest afterwards. You will be sensitive to temperature for typically up to 12 hours, basically acknowledged when taking a shower or washing hands in hot water..

Having headaches for 11 years, almost daily. Botox injections helped for a while....been on every anti-seizure medications and strongly suggest you do not take any of them. They will totally **** you up for years to come....it took me five years to regain my brain after Topamax and Depakote. I couldn't remember where I lived, couldn't carry on a conversation, and, as my Doctor said, it makes you "stupid". Anti inflammatory meds are good (Toradol), but hard on stomach. Ice, Ice, Ice!!! Put on bottom back of head (occipital) and just below on neck area. The front of your head will be pounding, but neck area is causing problem. Lay down, take your meds (anti-inflammatory, triptan and muscle relaxer). Even if headache goes away, lay for at least an hour. Sometimes I ice up whole head area, neck, shoulders and back. I wrap ice pack in scarf and tie around my head, sometimes all day, reapplying new cold one as needed. Triptans will get rid of headache but often cause headache to reoccur. I take them with extreme pain. Phenergan & Compozine suck! !/8 teaspoon baking soda & 1/2 cup warm water get rid of nausea twenty times better. Valium works good as muscle relaxer. Frova has 24 hour shelf life, is best but most expensive triptan. If you have friends in Europe, it is cheap and called "Migrex". I hope this helps you all....good luck!!

I too suffer from headaches where alcohol (I'm a beer drinker) sometimes seems to be the trigger. Not all of my headaches are associated with drinking, and I can often drink without producing a headache. I'm usually just a one beer a day drinker, but the pattern that I've noticed is that if I drink a stronger (higher alcohol beer), like a tasty craft beer, then my probability of getting a headache goes way up, especially if I drink it at night. I think I'm starting to get better at noticing warning signs, like very mild head or neck tension, that are a warning sign that I just don't need to drink that day. (I ignored those signs last night and had a tasty craft beer, and boy did I pay the price.) Anyway, I don't have a theory to contribute about why this happens. I do, however, have a warning, which is that it is very dangerous to mix alcohol with acetaminophen/paracetamol, and hence with products that contain them like Tylenol and Excedrin. You can blow out your liver with this combination. Sometimes I can't avoid taking Excedrin after drinking, although I wait just as long as I can stand to so that my liver will be free of alcohol. If I take Excedrin or Tylenol, I will not not drink that day. I definitely would not take these products as a preventive before a night on the town. There is a lot of information on the Internet about this, e.g., :http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2354/does-tylenol-alcohol-liver-failure-plus

I just want to reiterate that I've found the answer after 10 years of this stuff. I tried everything else because I didnt want to modify my diet (and I already ate healthy anyway). But this combination of cleaning out my internal organs (liver, kidneys, lymphnodes) and eliminating gluten has worked.

My migraines had gotten so bad over the years that even a half glass of any alcohol would put me under for at least three days. I have had migraines for as long as two weeks straight. When this started 10 years ago it was much milder and has just slowly gotten worse over the past 10 years.

This cleanse (I mentioned earlier: a probiotic, the BioResource stuff, lemon juice & cayenne drink & glycine) is key. As for the diet part - read this book called "Heal Your Headache". It explains it all. It may help many of you start to make sense of why some things you try work and some dont. If you can, also see a nutritionist. My nutritionist is in northern California if anyone else is out here.

This isnt a reactive approach (like what to take in order to stop the headache), this is a proactive approach that can make them stop happening altogether. I've been doing it for three months and I've been able to drink (even drinking scotch all day one day) without even a headache. Truly unbelievable. It turns out that too much gluten can bring it back (I found out after eating wheat for a week to test it).

Returning here two days before my 50th birthday hoping for a revelation. I have had same symptoms, pain behind eyes, stiff neck, for several years now. It does seem that the majority of people I speak to my age have a reduced tolerance to alcohol indicating some physical change contributory factor. I have had a whiplash neck problem for 19 years producing exactly the same pain as when alcohol induced which in my case I feel is connected.
Without wanting to throw too weird a spanner in the works, I have suffered with 'Hemifacial spasm' for 2 and a half years, which is a facial spasm caused by irritation of the facial nerve by a blood vessel, in other words pressure where it shouldn't be behind the ear. I recently had an mri, no results as yet but I feel it could be a result of my dodgy neck. This may have no relevance here but....!
I have actually managed to have a few drinks over the summer, and occasionally without the migraine. Two days running I had two pints of cider (over the whole day) and was reasonably ok. I was at a festival, walking or dancing constantly.Actually I am now remembering I started to develop a dull ache behind neck and eyes before the main act and spotted a stall selling oxygen. They claimed easing of headaches etc. I spent 5 mins. with a tube up my nostrils inhaling through a cool liquid containing some or other essential oil. After just 5 minutes I felt refreshed and went on to 'Go Crazy' with Prince! It really was that instant. Yes it sounds mad. I expect that keeping moving helped what the oxygen started. Unfortunately this is impossible to try at home.....?
Any more thoughts on magnesium? I will try some before my party.
Antihistamine hasn't been mentioned lately.
Is there a difference between over the counter parac., aspirin and caffeine and Excedrin? Will try these three and dance a lot. Wondering if Pimms is a lesser baddy as it is gin based. Good luck everyone.
I have been on a carbohydrate free diet, now just a few carbs but no bread, for weight loss, so I have also been mainly gluten free.

I am also one who suffers from insta- headache when imbibing but not always. I feel from reading all the posts above that I have the most in common with those with cluster headaches. Now this may sound a little crazy but what I believe has helped me the most is taking omega-3 vitamins on a daily basis. I recently ran out of the stuff and consequently didn't take them for a week or more and that is when the headaches kicked in. As soon as I started taking the omegas again, the headaches went away. I'm not saying I think this is the cure all and it may just be coincidence but I thought I would throw it out there.

I think I've got it. I hope this works for everyone and I don't look like an idiot. Like most, 1 beer usually = a headache for 1-2 days with no help from OTC pain meds. BOTTLED WATER. It's the plastic! I had a hunch one day and a couple of things clicked. Sorry this may not help migraine sufferers. I drank alot of water out of those plastic gallon jugs. Then the small bottles at work all day. I started getting headaches without drinking alcohol. I thought there must be a common denominator. Long story short. On vacation 2 weeks ago, I drank tap water all day and an all day headache went away. This scenario happened a couple times in the past but I didn't make the connection. Last night was the test. I drank 3 beers (dangerous) and this morning I'm fine. Halleluia. I once suspected that I was hypersensitive to mold in AC coils. Again I hope this does it for you and is the answer. A mechanic once told me to check the simple things first as the problem cause.

OMG I am so happy to find this thread. Sorry you all have something similar but it's nice to know I'm not alone.

I'm a 30 year old male in pretty good shape (5'10" 155lbs). For the last eight years I've had 1-2 drinks per night. Not sure if this is relevant but I do drink 2-3 cups of coffee per day. About six years ago I started getting migraines. Recently I've noticed a clear link between alcohol and headaches. I typically fix a cocktail around 7pm. Every night my neck would stiffen and I'd develop a dull headache. Each morning I'd wake up with a headache and generally by midday, the pain would have subsided.

I just finished going a week without alcohol and have been headache free.

My most severe headaches often have an element of vision distortion to them, usually around the periphery. During these times the effect is as if I'm looking through a pair of goggles that have a little bit of water in them.

The other thing I would add to this is that stress appears to also be a trigger for me. I'm the CEO of a startup company and I've noticed that bad days at work or fights with the girlfriend also cause a lot of pain.

Drinking water helps.

I'm going to investigate the correlation to magnesium and then possibly try the cleanse that has been discussed. I'll keep posting. Thanks for starting/continuing this! It's time we all got relief.

Every Tuesday night I drink 4 pints of lager, and would almost always get a migraine in the morning of one degree or another. Then for about the last two or three months I was eating beans and sausages before going out, which seemed to prevent the migraines every time. Not an ideal way of dealing with it though.

The magnesium theory could be behind this, beans are high in magnesium. I also came across a similar theory with regard to exercise-induced migraines so it was worth testing out.

Since last Saturday I have been taking 600mg tablets of magnesium hydroxide. I ate a different meal and had my 4 pints. Pleased and relieved to say that I was fine, no hint of trouble, so it's so far so good and the testing will continue.

Incidentally, I wonder if others have gastric problems like myself. I have reflux and take 15mg of lansoprazole every day and this started about the same time as the alcohol-related migraines over ten years ago. (I've just Googled after writing that and read that proton pump inhibitors have been linked to low levels of magnesium (BMJ)).

I've had migraines starting at 40 years old. I suddenly could not drink any wine or alcohol without getting a migraine.

I realized that the only thing that was different was that I had a bad case of poison ivy. The rash had gone away, but I was still very sensitive to any regular allergy trigger - welts from grass rather than a mild itch. Cats would bring on an asthma attack rather than just a sneezing fit. Things like that.

I borrowed a friends full dosing of Prednizone (I had taken it before with great success for poison ivy, so I knew I could take it. Please don't just do this without knowing how you tolerate it - and get a doctor's prescription.)

It worked. No more allergy sensitivity, no asthma, and could drink my Pinot again.

I am 36 and have similar symptoms. Feels like a sinus headache over my right eye alternates back and forth from inside of eyebrow to base of skull on right side. Have weird (?nerve) pain in my jawbone! I too clench my jaws and grind my teeth. I was thinking today maybe my wisdom teeth that have never come in and never been removed are pressing on that trigeminal (I think) nerve. Do you or others have wisdom teeth that have not come out yet? I might try TMJ massage work. My migraines are triggered by alcohol-even just 1 drink, my period, and I think storms. I also get points on my skull before the headache that are like the size of dimes that have localized migraine pain and are tender to touch. I was wondering if the cerebrospinal fluid between the meninges layers is affected by air pressure. I also was wondering if the ventricles which are filled with cerebrospinal fluid are affected by air pressure in some people because the left and right ventricles are shaped exactly like rams horns. Some people call their migraines ‘rams horn headaches’ because they radiate in that shape (from behind eye to the back of skull on one or both sides). I have a lot of theories. The other is that my liver is messed up from a past hepatitis b infection and I also do have HPV. My C5 vertebrae is herniated as well. Please help connect the dots. I would love to be able to have a drink with a friend every so often. Good luck to everyone!

I am still trying to find the time in my hectic post-retirement life (!) to collate all these points. Obviously, a lot of them will turn out to be false leads but I'm quite convinced a pattern will emerge. The only emphatic common factor at the moment is ... alcohol. And that will never do!

I also have the same symptoms and similar problems as many of you. I believe that there may be some issues with blood pressure. Many of the triggers that occur, seem to be in the relm of raising the blood pressure.

After consulting my doctor, we decided to try Verapamil. Verapamil lowers the blood pressure and also contains anti-headache medice. In addition, he perscribed relflex. this workes great with the verapamil but not so much alone.

After a week of being on the Verapamil, I was able to have more than 1 drink. with no lingering heaches.

Before taking the Verapamil, I also tried Vicodin. This triggered the worst headache of my life.

Im not sure if its the cure, but if you look at all of your triggers (as I did), it could possibly be the raising of blood pressure. I hope this helps.

That your wrong about. "Malted barley" will also make us sick. There has got to be some sort of link. All I know is that both me and my dad suffer from alcohol headaches which both started at the same exact time (wierd, right), and enough barley malt will mess us up too. I would be interested to see if you guys also suffer from this. The best way is to down a big glass Ovaltine with the malted barley in it.

I am 27, I've had migraines since I was a kid and have drank alcohol since 18, so I know what hangovers are like, and what migraines are like.

But only in the past few months have the migraines been triggered by alcohol. It's very hit or miss and I've been trying to figure out whether it's a certain type of alcohol that causes this. Just this month it's happened twice -- migraines so extreme that they make me throw up (very rarely in the past have my migraines been accompanied by nausea). I've got sharp pain behind my left eye, my left jawbone, the entire left side of my face in fact and the left side of my neck. I take Excedrin, usually the second Excedrin makes the pain manageable. The only thing that really makes the pain tolerable is getting some sleep.

Three weeks ago I had one beer (blue moon) and a miserable next day: migraine, nausea. This weekend, I had two vodka drinks, and the migraine lasted two full days, with nausea and vomiting as well.

At this point I feel like there is no way that drinking alcohol is worth it if just 1-2 drinks will cause this type of destruction. I am going to try magnesium, omega-3's, and quit alcohol altogether. I can't handle these 48-hour migraines.

I found something that works for the pounding migraine after 2-3 beers.

We treat alcohol migraines with triptans, aka vaso-constrictors. Stands to reason that our alcohol migraines are caused by alcohol being a vaso-dilator.

Aside from the triptans, which I definitely don't want to drink on, the only other vaso-constrictor I found was phenylephrine. If I take a sudafed PE before I drink - no headache. That's not to say I wont get a hangover, but I won't get that 2 hours later migraine that most of us are getting. I can actually drink socially again.

Be sure not to get the kind with pseudoephedrine - you want the not-as-effective replacement phenylephrine. Good luck!

I have had the almost identical symptoms to 'helpmyhead hurts'
I am male, 65 years, and from the UK originally. I have had these symptoms to varying degrees for 20 years or so.
I have had some improvement over the years but still cant tolerate even one drink without getting the 4am headache which lasts til about noon.
Some days I will get a headache without drink, other days I might get away with a small wine, I never know what to expect. I have tried everything. Well in 20 years there has been lots of opportunity. In desperation last year the doc had me checked out for sleep apnea. Yes I have sleep apnea and I'm having treatment now BUT I still cant drink without the dreaded headache at 4 in the morning. I know its not worth it but I love a good red wine and so occasionally I'm tempted and usually regret it. Sorry I cant come up with a magic bullet. Sympathy is all I can offer.

I do. I was suffering from a dust allergy or something and was sent for a scan. The results showed that I had a deviated septum, which came as a complete surprise. I was asked if I wanted an operation to correct it or just continue on, I chose the latter - maybe not such a great decision.

I'm now curious about why you asked. Do tell more.

My symptoms are very similar to helpmyheadhurts and especially heed15. I have only recently started sumatriptan, which does seem to stop the migraine if taken early on, easier said than done when it starts during sleep at 5am.

Yes I have gone through the deviated septum bit. I had an op. 15 years back Horrible experience. Didn't help the headaches but I can smell a pulp mill or a winery from 5 miles away. This is not necessarily a good thing.
The operation was to clean out infection in the sinus area and the septum was incidental as I didn't know I had that problem. They had me irrigate with salt water for years.
These headaches have, over the years, been my overiding health issue as I have enjoyed very good health generally. Sleep apnea in a mild form came as a big shock as I exhibit none of the usual symptoms like tiredness. My only visible symptoms are these morning headaches. So some of you folk should perhaps consider a sleep apnea test as morning headaches are one of the things the doctors will be asking about. It is an easy test where you bring home an oxygen meter, clip it to your finger overnight and they can tell if your oxygen levels have dropped in the night.
Incidently I am not the classic apnea shape being 5'-10" and 157 pounds.
Good luck and lets keep looking for answers.

I too have a deviated septum and an asymptomatic chronic sinus infection at least 3 + years. My Ear, nose & throat specialist said that she could operate on the deviated septum, but that it would only help me breath slightly better. She recommended against it. All my specialists have asserted that my severe headaches could not possibly be caused by the deviated septum or the sinus infection. The specialist suggested that I use a Netipot to have less stuffiness in the nostril.

So I think you MADE the RIGHT DECISION! Another otolaryngologist suggested that I get surgery to correct the sinus infection, but warned that it might not help my sinus infection. My current otolaryngologist said she could operate but that it wouldn't help me at all with the sinus infection. The exact same thing happened to my husband whose 2nd doctor recommended a nasal spray which helped his sinuses.

i have been studying this problem for years. rest assured that it is not the type of alcohol you drink. any alcohol will cause the symptoms if some other issues line up. some people can drink one night and be fine then some other night they will get the 2:00AM headache that lasts all day. it all depends on some conditions which are not readily apparent right now. you are on the right track taking caffeinated aspirin (excedrin) but you should take one pill just before the first swallow of alcohol and maybe one pill later in the evening if the drinking goes on. as a prophylactic excedrin works well. as a treatment after you have a headache it is not as effective. yours, ewagner44

Vitamin B12 Complex! It seemed the most promising solution to the symptoms I suffered from (vasodilation apparently). I bought some vitamin b12 supplements 2 weeks ago. I took them for a week before consuming any alcohol, to try to build my body's stores or whatever, and then I started consuming alcohol after 1 week. I haven't suffered any alcohol induced headaches at all. They used to be pretty debilitating and a surefire way to kill my night, but now I don't feel any of that pain when I drink--regardless of wine, beer or liquor. I take the B12 SUBLINGUAL supplements. Supposedly your body doesn't readily absorb b12 that you eat.

Even though it negates the pain in my head, I still suffer from other symptoms that I didn't notice because my headaches were so strong. My eyes still get bloodshot and heavy. My neck gets really tight and achey (achy), but nothing that stops me from having a good time like before. I'm writing this now because I just got back from a night out with a couple friends from college. I had more to drink tonight than in years and I feel fine! It feels so good to be able to cut loose again.

Tmrw I'm going to try milk thistle with my b12. supposedly milk thistle helps your liver and processes alcohol better-- less hangover. We'll see. For now, I recommend to all you sufferers out there to experiment with sublingual B12. maybe some magnesium.

also, i think the reason this developed in me is because of my lack of exercise. I'm not fat, but I should definitely exercise more. I think the main thing is that my neck/ back muscles have been getting weaker and my posture is starting to get worse than normal which puts undue stress on your neck and related blood vessels. b12 and straighter posture is what worked for me tonight and I couldn't be happier with the results.

I live in Florida and went on vacation with my family to Colorado in August. I've been drinking casually for years (I'm 43) and all of the sudden we're at a high elevation and boom here comes this headache to about killed me. Oh and yes I was enjoying a cocktail.

We get home, after a few days, go see my doctor because this will not go away. Long story short, after MRI's, CT Scan, etc...40 days of this headache... they determined that this is occipital nueralgia (not sure if I spelled that right) that is triggered by alcohol.

Occipital Nueralgia is the pain down the neck, one side of your face, shooting to your eye and towards your jaw line, oh and the massive headache that no matter what you do will not go away including taking migrane (migraine) medicine. For that lovely condition they have place me on Lyrica which has taken away all that nerve pain and makes me feel perfect, except those migranes (migraines) that come on when I drink alcohol of any kind within 15 min.

As for the headache that is induced by my desire to live my life...my doctor presribe me a headache medicine that keeps it under control without making me loopy like Sum(something like that). That is my lifesaver for these headaches. That did not work until after they were able to treat the occipital portion of the problem.

So those of you who are suffering the two part pain....get the shooting nerve pain diagnosed then you can treat the headache....it works as long as you do it systematically.

I found this forum today and wanted to add my two-cents. I don't have time to read all the posts, so I apologize if the following information has been shared.

I, too, suffer from infrequent migraine headaches after drinking alcohol. Like others, no discernible pattern. About a year ago, I went to my doctor complaining of shoulder pain. She prescribed Soma, a steroid drug. The shoulder pain went away, but that was not all it did. While on the Soma I had not one ill effect from the consumption of alcohol. I was so amazed that I did some self-testing. For one week, I drank every single day... and not just a little... I drank more than I had ever consumed before. Even to the point were, one day, I drank all day. Absolutely no ill effects!

The doctor told me the Soma was a anti-inflammatory drug. Maybe this is the connection, I don't know.

After the Soma ran out, the migraines returned. Anyone else have a similar experience with steroidal drugs?

I'm not advocating the use or abuse of steroids to treat migraines associated with alcohol consumption. But maybe there is something to the anti-inflammatory nature of the drug. How that can help... idk.

I have not read this entire thread yet, but I am happy to find it, because it is comforting to know that I am not alone.

I am pleased to report that I have solved my migraines with the program outlined in the book Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Pain by Dr. David Buchholz. (You can read my long review and history with migraines on Amazon. It was posted on 5/23/2010 along with many other grateful reviews from other migraine sufferers.)

But by "solved," I only mean that I have identified my migraine triggers, and I (mostly) avoid them. Sadly, one of those triggers is any sort of alcohol, even in small amounts. I love, love, love a good glass of wine, and I am willing to try some of these ideas to see if any of them would allow me to drink now and then without paying with a headache that lasts several days. I will report back.

Hello you all! I saw myself on many of the posts above. I am a 30 years old psychiatrist in Brazil. I was a moderate drinker (used to drink 5-6 beers on weekends) until 2 years ago. Inicially I noticed that I had a headache more frequently and with less alcohol than I used to. Then the headache would be more severe than it used to be. I tried to drink other kinds of alcoholic beverages like wine (the worst headache!) and whisky. The whisky helped for some months but then I started having headache again. Tried more expensive ones (tried 18 years Jonny Walker) but didnt help. I talked to some neurologist friends of mine and the advice was the same I read above "stop drinking!...You cant take a medicine TO drink!". The problem is that it is very embarrassing not to drink AT ALL on every social gathering.
Like many above I started making some experiments with my self. First I tried Nortryptiline 10 mg (an antidepressant used as a prophylatic treatment for headaches) It helped for some time, reduces the severity of the headache but I could never drink as I used. I could rise the dose but I think its just not right to take a medicine to be able to drink. Nowadays I usually take Paracetamol or Ibuprophene before and after I drink, but I still get my headache. It obviously doesnt worth it but its hard to resist.
Good luck for you all.

Have any of you ever wondered if the problem is alcohol itself? After all, in order to feel the sensation of being drunk you must consume enough alcholhol to poison your body. Maybe you aren't some special case, maybe you just have a light tolerance and can become drunk with fewer drinks....

Have any of you ever wondered if the problem is alcohol itself? After all, in order to feel the sensation of being drunk you must consume enough alcholhol to poison your body. Maybe you aren't some special case, maybe you just have a light tolerance and can become drunk with fewer drinks....

Many, if not most of us, have been drinking fine for years and then suddenly the migraine problem starts. I have a high tolerance for alcohol, as do all my family, and this problem can hit randomly with just small amounts.

For the last month my doctor has put me on beta blockers and I have not had a hint of a migraine so far.

I have given up on the diet side of it, that spectacularly failed with a 10 day migraine. My guess now is that it's to do with pressure balances within the head, which is very complicated for humans. Neck problems, deviated septums and other issues might contribute and alcohol just stresses the whole system out.

It was with pure relief that I came across this Forum. I too, suffer with major headaches when I drink any alcohol; the symptoms are increased if I have a drink when I have not eaten. One pint of shandy on an empty stomach triggers the headache; and this lasts for three days…I get full nausea as others have indicated.

Visited the doctor about three years ago, got the normal response of “well don’t drink”; my reply - thanks for all your help Doc [please note my sarcasm]… to say that I have reduced my alcohol intake is a major statement; I can’t drink, never mind don’t.

I have detailed my situation and thoughts below as it may help others and I’m hoping to spark a debate.

I haven’t always been like this, I used to able to drink. I have generally drunk socially, not to excess; I used to yes but this was when I was teenage and in my early twenties, more than 25 years ago now. The headaches started about six years ago, when I was 45, just after I remarried. Coincidently my wifes ex-husband used to complain about headaches following alcohol and didn’t drink much, this has started me thinking recently; him and now me…Is there a link here?

After more reading on other forums I have discovered one guy whose headache problem after drinking disappeared after being treated for H. Pylori, albeit for a short time as it returned with a vengeance. Has anyone else out there with this problem been tested for H. Pylori? I have read that this bacteria is difficult to eliminate, the medical profession presently use a mixture of drugs (proton pump inhibitor and two other antibiotics). If this guys symptom returned, has the H. Pylori survived the onslaught of the drugs. It worries me greatly that they hope to blast it with antibiotics and cross fingers; it doesn’t cure all, about 20% fail.

Has anyone tried the H. Pylori herbal cures out on the internet for more than £100, does it work?

I understand that the bacteria can be passed person to person by kissing, which of course would answer my link with my wifes ex husbands symptoms (kissing the wife not the ex husband :-)). Good job I can smile after all this!!

All this has culminated in me returning to the Doctor (a different one mind you) and going through the symptoms expressing my concerns about H. Pylori. I am now to have a H. Pylori test although as this is the UK NHS, my test is in January 2012, only a six week wait (oh well, better than never). When I have the test I will post my results.

One thing that helps me however (and I only found this out two weeks ago) is the Antihistamine Acrivastine, this is in Benadyrl in the UK and Semprex-D (this has a decongestant in the USA – not sure if they sell it without a decongestant there). I must say this; it is a revelation, limits my headaches, its brilliant lets me have a couple of beers without pain, WOW. I don’t know if this will work for all as we are all different it would seem, but it’s available, over the counter at less than a £5.

My theory, please shout me down if you think I’m way off the mark, the H. Pylori reacts with the alcohol which then produces a byproduct to which I am major allergic to, hence the headaches, the Activastine inhibits the allergy, no headache. I am hanging my hat on this; if it doesn’t come off I’m clueless, and will have to go teetotal…or keep popping the pills.

I am open for communications and would welcome these. Thanks for reading my ramblings.

As with many of you I was a happy drinking individual for years and suddenly when I was 29 I got a two day migraine and since then I get painful headaches after drinking.

Mine also go from neck to brow and I can temporarily alleviate the pain by putting pressure on either my neck or brow. I never had any migraines before. The pain is most intense at a spot seemingly in the middle of my head off to the right side. Like a spear of pain driving down through the top of my head. I don't really get any other migraine symptoms like light sensitivity or nausea, just very sharp long term pain (usually for 8-12 hours).

Fortunately for me, the headaches come mostly after the drinking so I can take medicine to relieve the pain. I found that normal pain killers didn't have much of an effect but while traveling I discovered Migraline in France. It has a small amount of Codine along with Tylenol and Caffeine. It actually killed the headaches quite effectively! Once home in the US I started looking online and discovered that Canada sells something called Tylenol #1 over the counter that has the same ingredients.

Several caveats on this: First, both Codine and Tylenol are not recommended while drinking so this is more of an "after" cure. Second, codine is by prescription only in the US so you would have to get this in Canada or Europe. Lastly, this only fixes symptoms and most likely has diminishing returns over time.

But for me, it works like a charm since I really only get the headaches the day after drinking.

I would also like to add that I feel pretty silly going to my doctor complaining of a headache after drinking as that is just an obvious effect of a hangover. This is clearly more acute and long lasting that a simple hangover (which I was quite familiar with before I started getting these headaches). I am glad to see that I am not the only one! Although I wish there were a real cure and not just ways to treat the symptoms.

Like you I enjoyed a fair few drinks in my twenties which then reduced to quite normal occassional social drinking. I am 43 and have suddenly in the last few months become unable to drink even half a glass of any alcoholic drink.
My headaches last several days and the symptons have been described time and again on this forum. Pain behind my eye, jaw, teeth etc.

I was tested negative for H. pylori about 12 years ago when I suffered from a period of reflux which was treated with proton pump inhibitors - these have been mentioned in a couple of posts. It has been suggested that proton pump inhibitors reduce the bodies ability to absorb magnesium. I am thinking maybe a magnesium deficiency or increased inability to absorb magnesium might have some link to the headaches. Perhaps the proton pump inhibitors I took affected my long term ability to absorb magnesium, my age and other factors compounding the effect. Women are prone to magnesium deficiency which is affected by hormones so again maybe my age is making it worse.
I am going to get some magnesium and b12 tomorrow, it's worth a try. Met a friend for a drink Friday night and drank tea in a pub! This could be the new me but I would much rather at least have the option of the occassional glass of red wine!
I don't think you should blame your wife!
Have really found it comforting to know that my exact symptons seem to be shared with so many. I was beginning to feel a little odd.

Like most of you I haven't found a solution to this problem. I really hate the thought of not drinking at all. I used to have about 1 or 2 drinks a week - actually I still do - but I pretty much always get a headache from it.

I've been taking sumatriptan and fiorinal for years for the headaches but I really don't want to give up drinking all together. I have a feeling that this isn't a problem with a solution except for not drinking so I'm trying to not have any alcohol but it *****!

i have been monitoring this message board for a long time. i have been a alcohol related headache sufferer for many years. any alcohol at all would result in a middle of the night headache that lasted until noon the following day. they were brutal. i have tried everything and the only thing that prevented headaches when i had a drink was caffeinated aspirin. (excedrin).
well, now i have something that shows promise. my TSH blood levels indicated i have a hypothyroid condition. anything over 5 would indicate the same for you too. most of the people corresponding to this message board report headaches starting as they got older. previously they had no problems. now that they are social drinkers they get these alcohol related headaches. as we age our TSH rises showing a marked decrease in our thyroid production. since i have been taking Synthroid 100mg i have had no headaches. this is a natural drug that causes no other problems. i have dropped the caffeinated aspirin and i have been socially drinking for 3 weeks without a headache. this is huge for me. check out your blood tests and see if supplementing your thyroid production helps you and let me know what you find.

Dear Hedgehog707; thanks for your response, I note that you have tested negative for H Pylori 12 years ago, but have you been tested since? I have tried the Magnesium tablets, but these made no difference whatsoever, I still got the headaches, similar in nature to yours. I never had any reflux problems so have never taken any proton pump inhibitors. I haven’t tried the b12. The only thing that works for me is Benadryl.

I don’t really blame my wife it certainly is not her fault, but it is the only link that I can develop with headaches and alcohol. My wife does suffer from a “poorly tummy”, and normally blames her menstrual cycle. But I’m not convinced as they don’t always coincide, her problems are not life threatening, just annoying but she can’t resolve it. I will just have to wait for the H Plyori test (next Monday 9/1/12) to see if we need to follow this up.

I was certainly pleased with the Benadryl over Xmas and New Year, didn’t result in a continuing headache, even though I drank champagne, beer and red wine. Not saying that I was without any symptoms (groggy head etc), the headaches were controlled and did not materialise into a three day nightmare.

Hi All,
Following my previous posts regarding my theories about these problems being caused by Helicobacteria Pylori; I have been confirmed positive that I have H.Pylori!!

Now a frustrating period of waiting until my wife is tested and then we can both be treated. I may be able to have a beer without stressing whether I will cop for a three day headache, if we can kill it.

It’s gone very quiet on here recently, has anyone else got any other theories that hold water?

Not really is the answer ... from myself anyways. But, I AM getting down to that much-promised collation of all our symptoms/treatments/'cures', etc., etc. and WILL post the results here as and when. I want someone out there to keep nagging/shaming/humiliating/berating me in public until I do it!

WELL ... finally got around to going through the 275 or so posts since I first started this 'thread' in 2008 and stripping them down into contributory factors, symptoms, durations, temporary cures, etc., etc., ad nauseum! Some really good stuff here but, in the (continued) absence of any medical opinion, will have to Google a number of items before I can post the breakdown. Bear with me everyone - if you're interested that is ..... !

... and here it is. I promise everyone I've done the best I can with this, but I'm almost certain to have missed out someone's pet theory, for which I apologise in advance. Here goes:-

______________________________________________________________

Sufferers report a debilitating headache, following sometimes minimal alcohol intake … onset predominantly within two hours or so … duration from around two or three hours up to a couple of days … described as along the lines of a cluster headache or migraine, sometimes with pronounced flushing of the face and/or neck;
Almost all have only come on since around 2004 (-ish) ... no-one has reported a problem affecting previous generations … age is no barrier to this, with some sufferers in their twenties thru to seventies … listed comments include “ … all of a sudden… ” … “… like flipping a switch … “ … “… less of a buzz than before … “ and “...thought it was just me …”

Thread opened on March 11th 2008—currently totalling 275 posts;
Little or no real medical input thus-far.

Specific pre-existing or present causal suspicions (where any were suggested) taken from all posts:-

Don't know what we're all going to make of this precis, but at least it will save having to remember/refer back thru 200+ posts and may well get someone to add 2+2 and come up with 4!
Speaking personally, I have just gone with the Excedrin (1) + Paracetamol (1) tabs both before and after a fairly strong session today (purely for research purposes you all understand) ... and am, thus-far, pain-free.
Still not the answer long-term though, as we all know.

I am not a bit interested in alcohol effects since I can't drink, but I am VERY IMPRESSED with your compilation of the comments. I hope that others thank you properly for all your very helpful information. What a gem you are!!!

It is clear to me that all of us here have started suffering from (little) alcohol intake after previously not having had those negative effects. Same for me, it started some 2 years ago. I am a very careful drinker now, I love a glass of wine and still have it. One glass normally fine, but a second one can do quite some damage.

What helps for me is to take 1 Saridon (contains coffein, paracetamol and propyfenazon) when I feel the first slight headache coming up. Then take another one before going to sleep.
When I start too late, then it does not work anymore. Only remedy then is too take a long massaging shower, eat some food and drink lots of coffee. But will have headache for quite some hours then.
Other symptom I have is dehydratation (dry tongue, etc).

What I will do now is have my hypothyroid condition checked, and see if that is a cause.

That's an interesting addition to the mix Marcus (will have to start again now ...!).
Like yourself tho', I'm looking for a source other than just simply alcohol for our headaches. In my case, as I mentioned elsewhere, I was told my my doctor that I had joined '80% of the UK population' in becoming Type-2 diabetic ... which would, I think, have coincided roughly with the onset of the headaches. It may very well be a red herring but I think it's well-worth exploring - especially with reference to the dry mouth, general dehydration, etc., etc.
It's going to be my next task to watch these posts carefully and see just how many 'Type 2 symptoms' other headache sufferers have in common with myself - especially bearing in mind that this apparent surge of Type 2 appears to be a comparatively 'recent' thing.
Having said all of this, although I'm very grateful to MedHelp for the facility to air these threads, a little more medical input from them in eliminating various things we've discussed like this would have saved an awful lot of research and time maybe .... ?

Hi,
I am suffering. From same problem , even after single peg of scotch, whiskey or any alcohol I get hedace next day morning and stays till third day .
Pain starts from my neck to my head( left side )

I googled and consulted many ,
What I came to know or can say researched is
-blockage in heart vessels
-spondylitis
-migraine
-alcohol allergy

You may see Mike that the previous 270+ posts refer to virtually identical symptoms.
There is no real sign thaat any of us has discovered a 'cure' for this, or even got anywhere near identifying the basic problem since I first started posting in 2008.
However, what I now take as a result of everyone else's experiences is 1 x Excedrin (which is an acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine combination) and 1 x paracetamol about half an hour before I start drinking followed by the same combination as soon as I stop drinking ... but, at any rate, before the onset of ANY headache symptoms (too late in my experience).
Have to be blunt here and say that, in the absence of any alternatives, popping pills has certainly curtailed my 'usual' drinking habits - but this treatment certainly allows me to have a session maybe once a week (so far!).
Hope this helps.

Having realised just how well you research your posts, it was interesting to see your post on Synthroid. However, I don't think it would be good for an awful lot of due due to the following:
"As all the medication Synthroid may affect your general health condition if you have some other disorders or diseases. When prescribing the medication the following factors should be discussed with your doctor.
- Tell your doctor about the drugs you are taking including herbal remedies or vitamins. The following medications can be especially dangerous: antidepressants, amphetamines, anticoagulants, certain contraceptives etc.
- Inform your doctor if you have the allergy to thyroid hormone, povidone iodine, tartrazine, lactose or other drugs and food.
- Be sure that you do not have certain kidney, liver and heart diseases.
- If you have diabetes and you are taking insulin or oral medications, the dosage of Synthroid may be corrected.
- Your doctor should know if you are suffering from such diseases as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure or coronary artery disease, or problems with blood clotting and bleeding.
- Inform your dentist and an emergency medical help doctor about Buy Synthroid you are taking.
- Synthroid is also may be dangerous in people with osteoporosis (especially in postmenopausal women), pituitary or fertility problems or trouble swallowing.
- Inform your doctor about recent or future surgeries.
- If you are pregnant or planning pregnancy Synthroid can make harm to an unborn baby. It is also found in breast milk. The treatment with this medication should be corrected to prevent the possible risks for your child.
- Canadian Synthroid should never be used to treat obesity in people with proper thyroid hormone level. It can cause the serious or even fatal toxicity. ..."

Ah well, I'm obviously pleased it works for you, but I think the rest of us have to VERY careful that our quest to find a cure for drinking headaches doesn't put us in even more danger.

"Funny" that you all have the same problem as me. My problems started 7 months ago (I'm 45) and it started with red wine, than beer and now even white wine. I can drink dark rum without problems, I actually not even get drunk despite 30 cl.
I did suffer some problems with a tooth infection that didn't go away and have eaten a lot of antibiotics for it, anyone else had some problems with bacterias or eaten antibiotics in the past? Have you had some amalgam fillings removed before this alcohol problem started?

Wow four years strong! I'm not sure I have anything to add that anyone else hasn't already... but will anyway. :-)

I'm 41 and lead a relatively healthy lifestyle. I workout 3-5 times per week (heavy weights + some cardio), eat a pretty lean, clean diet for the most part and drink about ten 16-oz glasses of water per day.

In common with some other posters, I have a slight degenerative condition in my neck - thinning between the vertebrae, which causes frequent neck and upper back pain. About two years ago I herniated a disc in my neck, which hasn't helped matters. But I continue on, managing with chiropractic care, strengthening the muscles and using a traction device on a regular basis.

About a year and a half ago, I suddenly developed some food allergies and intolerances that include gluten, dairy and corn. So my diet obviously now avoids all those items and derivatives of them.

I eat a very low carb diet. Eating every three hours, 5-6 times per day, small meals consisting of a lean protein and a veggie or fruit. Only grain carbs after a workout. I do allow myself one cheat day to consume whatever I want (except allergy foods obviously).

I take a ton of vitamins daily. Everything from a mens multi to B, C, D, E, K, L-carnitine, milk thistle, feverfew/butterbur, probiotics and digestive enzymes when I eat.

I have suffered headaches since I was a kid. A couple known triggers are citrus and chocolate, so I've always avoided them. I take topamax to help control them and take imitrex or relpax when they hit.

With that background in mind, I have recently developed the same alcohol "intolerence" or whatever it is that we all seem to be suffering from.

I can't drink beer because of the gluten thing; my drink of choice is generally single malt scotch or a good sipping tequila. If I have a couple drinks, I'll either develop a headache before bed or have one within a couple hours of falling asleep. The headaches usually start on the left frontal lobe and sometimes spread across my temples and to the right side. They will last the entire following day, sometimes spanning two days.

I've tried taking my migraine meds, or advil or vicodin, sometimes all of them. Sometimes they work, most of the time they don't.

Thinking my liver was the cause, I've tried doing a detox twice. Once a whole system detox and then a liver only detox. No dice, still a headache after only a couple drinks.

I'm thinking I've developed an intolerence to alcohol the same way I suddenly developed it to gluten and dairy at the age of 40.

From what I can tell after reading through most of the above posts, there doesn't seem to be a surefire cause or cure. If I did miss a true cause or cure, please let me know!

Hi Jeff ...
The only reason I'm coming back here is that, after some 280 posts (!), I think we needed someone to moderate to save everyone having to go back four years. I volunteered myself, both for the precis of symptoms/causes/potential 'cures', etc., etc., simply because it was 'there' to be done. However, I am quite happy for someone better-qualified to join me or take over.
Either way, it would sound to my layman's ear as if you were already suffering migraine-type symptoms well before the perceived allergic reaction to alcohol?
Am not sure yet how - or even whether - these two sets of symptoms are related, but one thing we all know is that, with the introduction of alcohol to the equation, we ALL get blinding headaches which are difficult, if not impossible to shift.
On that basis, until we can get some identification of our particular 'allergy'(?) or intolerance, we have to go (by definition) I suppose, with what gives most sufferers some relief.
Personally, I am still persevering with the single Excedrin (Anadin Maximum Strength in the UK I think is the equivalent) just before the alcohol intake and one immediately afterwards - but BEFORE any symptoms, or even 'presence', of a headache arrives.
I have also been relatively successful with a topical analgesic such as 'Head-On' (or '4-Head' in the UK) applied to the back of the neck and across the eyebrow line (and have just received my latest pack from the Good Ol' US of A of IcyHot Power Gel - verdict maybe later today).
Overall, it seems a combination of the above - taken exactly as suggested - seems the best bet. However, as with some other correspondents, the Excedrin 'cure' in isolation seems to work only for limited periods.
Hope this helps, otherwise your next headache may come from having to plough back through all these posts - welcome to the Club!

mark, you are correct... synthroid is not for everyone. i believe one of your correspondents nailed it when he said we are all susceptible to migraine headaches and alcohol is just a potent trigger. synthroid works for me because it levels out my hypothyroid and anytime you improve your health you can hope to get less migraines.
as i stated earlier and some of your correspondents agree.... one caffeinated aspirin before drinking and one after drinking is a good short term solution.
yours, ewagner44

I am 60 years old and my headaches started about four years ago, right after I was diagnosed with type II diabetes. I had been a moderate/heavy drinker for many years. The story is similar to most of the others on this thread. Suddenly, any amount of alcohol triggered a headache. Not a "hangover" the next morning, but a headache within an hour or two of having a drink. My headaches are severe, in the back of my head, only, and would wake me up, usually an hour or so after I had gone to bed. I completely gave up drinking, as it just wasn't worth it (as much as I love a glass of scotch). Then, after giving up alcohol, I found that I still would get the exact same headaches if I ate any considerable amount of sugar. A piece of cake, a cookie or some ice cream. Even if there was sugar in spaghetti sauce, or something else similar. One night, early on in my heaqdache experiences, I decided that I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, so I decided to make coffee and go ahead and stay up. Drinking the coffee eased the pain enough that I was able to go back to sleep. I have also found that if I lay my neck on an ice bag, I can get back to sleep. When I wake up in the morning, the pain is always gone, with no residual symptoms. You have asked, a few times, about sugar, and I am certain that it is related, at least to my headaches. My family doctor has tried prescribing a few different migraine type drugs, and they did not help. He sent me to a head ache specialist, who sent me to a neurologist, who gave me cortisone shots in my neck. They didn't help. I went to a accupuncturist who swore that he could cure this problem. Several treatments later, it didn't help. I am certain it is sugar related and would love to find an answer to the problem.

I wonder - just wonder - whether sugar_blues has started to get closer to the cause of this problem.
Speaking personally, I am also Type 2 diabetic. It was diagnosed some time ago, but how long have I ACTUALLY been suffering from it is maybe the question.
The sugar issue is (I thought) altogether different - but is it? I really believe that sugars, especially the refined 'white' variety, feed cancers and are generally non-beneficial to the human body, but, of course, they are inextricably linked to alcohol by definition, aren't they?
There is no doubt that, in our Western society, there is, increasingly, too much sugar in almost everything we eat (they've just exposed our 'healthy' breakfast cereals here in the UK) whilst, of course, our bodies will extract/convert sugar from almost everything we eat - even things like chicken breasts, I gather!
Overall, not sure where I'm going here, but having been most other places in this thread, is this alcohol/sugar/diabetes connection worth exploring? Maybe this could explain why the fact that more and more of our foods are heavily processed with (effectively) poisons including sugars would account for why this problem of ours is an increasing problem not reported in bygone generations.
The more cynical amongst us MAY even begin to suspect that the reason none of the powers-that-be want to enter this debate MAY be because the food industry would stand to lose a fortune if it were proved to be true?
Getting back to where we were, I, for one had no idea at all I was suffering - like (apparently 80% of the UK population) from Type 2 until my doctor insisted I was checked for it.
Food for thought?

P.S.:- Just for the record, my 'IcyHot' balm trial didn't have much - if any - effect on the headaches. Apart from the American 'Head-On' and the UK's '4-Head', the only thing that really did help the caffeine/aspirin tablet combination was Back-Aid Back Balm(!) on my neck and forehead ... and they don't make it anymore!

Hi everyone
I am so glad that I have finally found somewhere to talk about this problem where the response isn’t “Duuh! It’s called a hangover” I have just read through these posts (wish I’d found the summary sooner) and find that I have so many things in common with many of you. I have suffered from migraines since I was 18 (now 56). I have identified a few different triggers but found that the main culprit is stress. Like many others I also have a minor neck problem caused by whiplash injury many years ago.
About four years ago though I started to experience headaches that are more like the cluster headaches being described on this site. At first they were not too painful and were quite infrequent but over time they became more intense and were happening more and more often. I suddenly realised that the common factor was white wine and although I tried to deny it and ignore it the situation got worse so I drastically cut down my white wine consumption. I did occasionally indulge on a Saturday night though and put up with the terrible headache that lasted all the next day. Here’s where my story differs to the others here. I found that I could drink any white wines while on holiday and over the Christmas period without any ill effect at all. This led me to believe that these headaches too had a stress factor involved.
About a year ago I thought I was having a particularly bad alcohol induced headache but when it had got no better after about 12 hours my husband insisted on taking me to A&E. It turned out to be a very serious eye problem and the pressure in my right eye was over 70 (normal reading between 10 and 20). As a result, I had laser surgery performed on both eyes to prevent the problem reoccurring.
After the surgery the headaches completely disappeared. But before you all rush out to have holes blasted into your irises, it was only temporary. The headaches returned after about three months and I am now finding that I can’t drink any kind of alcohol without suffering the headaches. I also find that after drinking and when I have a headache, I also have raised pressure in my eye. This, according to my eye specialist is just a coincidence. Just thought I’d mention it though as it could be something to consider the next time you get your eyes checked. Anyway, as I said earlier, when I am on holiday I don’t suffer from the problem at all, so I have come to the conclusion that the solution in my case is early retirement and more frequent holidays. What do you rate my chances of getting that on the NHS?

I just discovered this forum and like everyone else I am happy to learn I am not alone. I am 44 have been dealing with the issue for about 10 years now. I have not found anything that helps long term and my symptoms are like everyones. I cannot even drink a sip of alcohol without the headache and I also have back and spine issues.

I have always thought that the solution is hovering out there so obviously that we're all missing it - but it's only by keeping this going and comparing notes that we may find it.
From the last few postings alone, we have a recurrence of upper back/neck problems along with the obvious exacerbation by alcohol - and the added possibility now of eye involvement.
Personally, I know that I have this disc degeneration problem towards the top of my spine and I also know that my medic's previous suggestion that I stand up against a wall and press my spine, back and neck into it helps massively with the headaches. In fact, I've also noticed that, if I've kept moving after the drinks or had a bath where I lay back and put the rim of the tub on the back of my neck for ten minutes or so, the pain eases noticeably. As we all know from this site however, different things work for different people.
Just for reference, I've been summoned by the good old NHS (our British National Health Service, for the benefit of our American cousins), for a 'Diabetic Retinopathy Screening' this week. Apparently, this photographic screening of the eyes tells them quite a bit, so will report back on this - as with everything else - if it has any relevance to 'our' problem.

Alcohol beverages-induced headache may have different causes, triggers and symptoms, so we are not hunting for a single thing here.

ASIAN FLUSH REACTION. About 50% west Asians get a flush over the face and chest within minutes of starting drinking any type of alcoholic beverage. Nausea and headache are possible. Symptoms may last for several hours.The cause is a genetic lack of a certain enzyme. Europeans and Americans of Caucasian origin very rarerly have this disorder.

CLUSTER HEADACHE. Sudden, severe pain on ONE SIDE of the head, possibly starting in one eye and eventually extending from the neck to the temple (eyebrow). Pain starts few minutes to several hours after drinking, commonly in the middle of the night and lasts from 15 minutes to 3 hours. The affected person is RESTLESS and wants to move around. Other common triggers include smoking, heat, intense light, nitrites (in preserved meats), certain medications. Headache occurs in clusters that may last for several days/weeks in a row and are followed by a headache-free period, lasting for months. SUMATRIPAN and/or inhaling 100% oxygen (portable containers are available) may help relieve headache.
Source:
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Headache-Cluster-Headache.htm

MIGRAINE HEADACHE is usually a THROBBING headache often starting on one side and sometimes spreading to both sides of the head. It may be triggered by alcohol or other ingredients of alco. beverages: histamine or tyramine. Other possible triggers: emotional stress, flashing lights, hypoglycemia, MSG...Headache starts 30 minutes to 3 hours after starting drinking and may last for 4-72 hours. Affected person wants to LIE DOWN in peace and dark. EXCEDRIN, CAFFEINE or regular painkillers, such as IBUPROFEN often help.
Source:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1142556-overview#showall

HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE. Headache, flushing and, sometimes, nausea, hives, itchiness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, difficulty breathing may occur 3-24 hours after drinking any type of alcohol (ethanol stimulates the release of histamine in the body), or beverages containg histamine, especially red wine, but also white wine, cider, beer (or some type of beer), wine coolers. Foods high in histamine include fish (especially if not fresh), cheese, cured meats, sauerkraut and others..., and certain medications, like aspirin, metoclopramide, verapamil. Combining alcohol and histamine-rich foods may also trigger headache. Antihistamines (H1 BLOCKERS, such as loratidine), and vitamin C and vitamin B6 may help relieve headache. The underlying cause is a deficiency of diamine oxidase (DAO), an enzyme that normally breaks down histamine from food. Regular excessive drinking may also inhibit this enzyme and cause histamine intolerance. Prevention is with a low-histamine diet. Diagnosis may be confirmed by challege test with histamine, improvement of symptoms after a low-histamine diet, high blood histamine levels or low DAO levels.
Sources:
http://www.ajcn.org/content/85/5/1185.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15603203

The exact cause of "RED WINE HEADACHE" (RWH) is still not known; histamine or tannins, among other, may trigger it.

SULFITES from wine and beer are NOT a common cause of headache, they mainly cause difficulty breathing in asthmatics; non-asthmatics are rarely affected.

Sudden, severe pain under one or both ears or "PAIN IN THE JAW" DURING drinking, especially when drinking during eating, may be caused by chewing that forces alcohol to flow back through the salivary duct(s) into the parotyd gland.

BULGING or HENIATED DISC or ARTHRITIS in the NECK is a common cause of "CERVICOGENIC HEADACHE". Compression of the sensory nerves that supply the affected side of the head may be involved. Tilting the head may trigger headache. Alcohol may act as an additional trigger.

In DIABETES 1 or 2, one possible cause of headache is NEURITIS (inflammation of one or more nerves on the head).
Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539657/

TEMPORAL ARTERITIS is a rheumatic inflammation of the arteries in one or both temples. Bulging and tender vessels are characteristic. Alcohol may worsen headache.
Source:
http://www.drugs.com/cg/temporal-arteritis-aftercare-instructions.html

In individuals with MIGRAINES and HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE, psychological stress, exercise, lack of sleep and diet may be additional triggers, what may explain why the same amount of alcohol does not always trigger headache.

I'm not a doctor, but I have finished medical faculty and have done some research about alcohol lately.

You profess not to be completely medically qualified, but am moved to say that you've given us a far better medical insight here than we've actually had from anyone else on the site - for some reason that we've never had explained.
Granted, there was a little bit of interest (that we may have been entitled to expect was ongoing) when I started this in 2008, but we're left with two options:- either there are no experts on the site any more ... or someone knows more than they're owning up to!
Anyway, we are where we are, as they say, but I suppose most of us on here are not medcically-aware enough to decide which of the options you list apply to us. It seems, overall, we're all looking for a silver bullet 'cure-all'.
On that basis Boron ... any suggestions?

Write down:
1) Which exact alcohol beverages cause symptoms and which not? Which other foods trigger symptoms? When did you noticed symptoms for the first time and do they appear every time you drink?
2) In what time after starting drinking symptoms appear and how long do they last?
3) What helps: which exact drug, rest...?

See if your symptoms fit any category in my above post. You can read the articles in links attached. Then try to avoid triggering beverages and foods. If this does not help, see a doctor.

Examples:

1. You experience headache and flushing every time you drink any type of alcohol from as long you can remember - it's probably an "Asian flush reaction".

2. You get generalized headache and allergy-like symptoms (itching, hives) only after red wine, but not white wine or at least not after clear vodka - it's obviously not ethanol, but probably histamine or tyramine what triggers symptoms. In this case you would also react to cheese and fish, which are high in histamine and tyramine. So, this speaks for histamine intolerance; an allergologist can make appropriate tests. You can try a low-histamine diet:
http://www.urticaria.thunderworksinc.com/pages/lowhistamine.htm
or see an allergologist to have appropriate tests.

3. You get sudden, severe headache that makes you restless, but lasts "only" up to 3 hours, and sumatripan helps - it's likely a cluster headache. Migraine would make you want to go to bed and it will last longer - this is how these two headaches differ. A neurologist can help you find appropriate treatment.

4. Hangover headache usually starts only 4 or more hours after stopping drinking - when blood alcohol concentration falls to a certain level.

5. If you have problems with the neck spine and headache, see a neurologist or neurosurgeon and discuss about surgery.

You don't happen to need alternative employment do you Boron? If so, I'm quite happy to forward your name to MedHelp as (it would appear) the only researcher/medical advisor they seem to have on this subject!
I realise you may not have read all the other posts, but, as many of them reflect, sufferers of this strange affliction have been ridiculed and mostly, ignored over it.
Personally, it's going to be really interesting to go through your posts a bit at a time to further narrow all the options down.
The only thing that is still outstanding to my mind is why it would appear that this is a reasonably recent phenomenon? It has only (seemingly) surfaced within the last decade from what I can see. I can find no trace of reports from previous generations of it and it obviously affects all ages, judging by this forum.
Either way, Boron, I'm sure I can speak for all of us 'sufferers' when I offer our gratitude for your attempts to move us a step forward with this.

I'm writing a comprehensive article about alcohol (still researching) and other nutrients and when I finish it I'll need to sell it...

I've read more than half of the posts in this thread. Those who mentioned pain "up to the eyebrow" or "temple" always on one side, likely suffer from "cluster headache," so this is the term for them for further research. Alcohol (probably ethanol itself) is only one of many possible triggers, but maybe, for some, it is the only trigger.

The term "red wine headache" or "RWH" is known for quite some time, but the exact triggering substance has not been identified yet. I strongly suspect histamine. There were some controlled studied done, and both red wine and histamine triggered headache in those with history of "wine headache." I found almost no scientific evidence that sulfites or salicylates naturally present in wine would trigger headache (even if salicylates in much higher doses, such as in aspirin are a known trigger of headache).

Doctors (GPs) often ignore these intolerances, because "you don't need to drink alcohol, so what's the big deal." They are partly correct: if alcohol causes you pain why are you torturing yourself with it. Alcohol-induced headache sufferers should understand that avoiding alcohol may solve their problem. Those with lactose intolerance avoid lactose and they may be fine. Those with celiac disease avoid gluten and may be fine. Some people here mentioned sugar as a trigger of headache. I found no direct association between sugar and headache so far, but if avoiding sugar helps, avoid it. You don't always need to understand how it works.

One common misconception is that alcohol "improves mood." It was proven that alcohol enhances your current mood: if you are happy it will make you happier, if you are anxious about some current issue, it will likely make you more anxious. If you are tired, it will make you more tired, and if sleepy, it will make you more sleepy. If you already had a lot of stress at a given day, alcohol may just push you over and cause headace.

It was also proven that alcohol may act "as you expect it will." They gave participants to drink non-alcoholic wine, but participants thought it was alcohol in it and then they reported "relaxation," "sensation of warmth" and other typical "drunk" symptoms.

I am not alone!! I am now considering getting different tests done to see about my liver and thyroid due to what I have read in these posts.

I started having migraines after my second child was born. Then after that everything seemed to trigger migraines in me. Hormones, sugar, light beer, red wine, cheese, white wine etc. On occasion I can have a glass of wine without a headache but that is very rare. Mine always start in the base of my skull upper neck. However I still feel stiff and sore even after my meds kick in.

I recently lost 22lbs and my headaches were better. I feel that may be because my main food source is now veggies and white meats. Try to eat very clean, most of the time. I always drink lots of water all the time and have eliminated many foods. But last night I ate choc. chip cookie, chips and salsa, sweet potato fries along with light beer and sure enough I had that old headache. The good news is my imitrex lasted two months which is a miracle for me, until now. I am so frustrated with these migraines, which I have been getting for about 12 years. I am 44. So I am going back to eating right and not drinking for a while to see if that helps. But I really want to understand the cause of these migraines, I want to know why this happens to me 9 out of 10 times I drink any type of alcohol.

I read botox is now approved by the FDA as a treatment of migraines. Will be calling my insurance about that ASAP.

In lighter mood (temporarily I guess!) Suzie, >>> " ... but last night I ate choc. chip cookie, chips and salsa, sweet potato fries along with light beer and sure enough I had that old headache ..." <<>> " ...Doctors (GPs) often ignore these intolerances, because "you don't need to drink alcohol, so what's the big deal..." <<< remind me never to date a medic!!!
On a more serious note, I don't think (?) anyone's really mentioned the botox possibility, but it's only by throwing these possibilities around that we're going to maybe get to the bottom of this.
It's coming up to summer ... and dammit ... I ENJOY a drink and I'm gonna have one as and when ... headaches or otherwise!

I've done some research on migraines and headaches previously, also on alcohol recently. Please, consider trying diet eliminations first, before spending a lot of money on investigations. Migraines in most cases are triggered by something external: foods, drinks, stress, flashing lights, even smells...

Beer, wine and cheese all contain tyramine and histamine, which both are commonly reported migraine triggers. Alcohol (any type) stimulates the release of histamine in the body, so combining alcohol with tyramine/histamine rich foods may even easier trigger migraine.

But, are you sure your headaches are migraine attacks? Do you think you could have a problem with your cervical spine (bulging disc/arthritis)?

I too have suffered from alcohol headaches for over twenty years. Prior to that, I had no issue. Now if I drink more than two beers and sometimes less, I experience the pain in the back of my head (typically the next morning). It then works its way to my eye. I am a craft beer enthusiast so this is a pain. Anyway, I have tried just about everything that all of you have tried. Nothing has been the magic bullet. I happened to be searching the internet during a recent painful day and found something called Kudzu root. I bought a bottle of capsules at a local herbal pharmacy. After one dose I could feel almost a release of pressure in the back of my head and neck. Also, I had a beer and felt as though I drank a glass of water (no tightening, aching, etc.). Tonight, I am going to experiment with two and see if I have the same results. I will let you all know.

I tested the Kudzu root theory yesterday. I drank two and a half beers. Usually any more than two and I get a headache the next morning. I had no headache this morning and no feeling that I might get one. I did take one extra capsule after finishing my last beer. I had already taken the recommended amount before drinking. Next time I will plan my doses around my drinking session. I'm not completely sold. Maybe I just got lucky this time but will continue to test the Kudzu supplements. The supplements are very cheap so I have my hopes up. I'll will make sure to provide an update.

I would have to wonder how many of you have eyeglasses. This might not seem important but some of they symptoms you all describe could be caused by eye strain. It won’t start in the eyes because of the ancillary muscles that help control eye movement. I have had a similar issue develop but not due to alcohol or any related issue that my doctor could find. Being Far-sighted seems to increase this tendency because we strain to see things far away even with our glasses on. Alcohol will actually increase the strain because you start to lose motor functions, even a couple of grams of alcohol can have an extreme effect. This causes the muscles around the eye to strain, you will start to feel it even as low as your shoulders which is where mine started. MRIs, X-rays couldn’t determine anything. I even have had my eye pressure tested (normal) my optic nerve is completely fine.

Needing Glasses is such a simple cause and even if your eyes are 20/20 when you drink even your ocular muscles are affected. I can almost bet that some of you need eye exams and may possible need glasses to ease the strain on your eyes.

Wanted to make sure about what I said, seems I still mix up far-sightedness and near-sightedness. Myopia, the eyes ability to see things up close but not far away is what I meant. Sorry for the mix up!

Did some more research, because as I have read more and more posts. I had to consider where everyone was indicating their headaches were originating from. I am almost positive now that it has to do with the eyes and the strain that is put on them. I went ever further than my own experience and was able to contact an Ophthalmology Surgeon I had worked for years ago. He actually turned me on to this ocular migraine, and also stated that any eye problems Hyperopia-Myopia may be a factor that people are forgetting, especially considering alcohol intake over the years. He stated that it can take time for people to develop eye problems (considering some of the ages posted) and that it sounded like some have a predisposition for developing eye problems (considered because of some of the younger ones who have posted). Needless to say it was an interesting conversation, especially considering the time.

Ocular Migraines:

Like in other migraines, the exact cause of ocular migraine is still a topic of debate. The most nearest and convincing explanation is that it is caused due to vascular spasm that affects the ocular blood vessel supplying blood to the vision center in the brain. Changes in the blood flow in the vessels cause the severe throbbing, pounding effects of headache, or even flushing affects.

It is believed that ocular migraine is triggered by over stress, oral contraceptives, premenstrual changes, Alcohol (WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST PREVALENT LINK IN ALL OF THE ACCOUNTS), and certain victuals such as chocolate, red wine, chicken livers, meats preserved in nitrates, milk and poor Circadian Rhythm (Sleep Patterns For The Layperson)

All the clear liquors are OK, just cannot drink anything dark or wines.

Vodka, Rum and anything clear will not effect you other than the usual too much to drink problems.

I am a migraine suffer and am not 59 and could drink anything up to the last 5 years and all of a sudden everything besides the clear liquids brought on a migraine.

I asked my Migrained specialist if this was true and he said I was correct and to stick to clear alcohols.

Good luck and I am just as fustrated.

My best over the counter trick for getting rid of migraines is the following cocktail.......
3 Excedrine Migaine with a Coke. Works better than pain pills.

My doctor also gives me Zebutal 50/500/40.
I take two of these when I feel one coming on and one maybe 30 minutes or so later if it is still around and works great. Use this i leiu of the above cocktail for really bad one coming on.

Please cut out Soy. It is a major triger for me and it is in so many foods, espeically asian foods and sushi, in which I love. I can almost smell and get a headache. I suffer from cluster headaches.

You are really on to something, as I found out by going on atkins diet to loose weight for two months and not only lost 40 lbs but did not have a single migraine.

I also discovered that I was alergic (allergic) to milk (latic acid) and was a heavy drinker of milk all my life. Feel much better without it.

They had progressed to the point that I suffered more days with than without them.

I went off the diet and imediately started having them again as I did not try to slowly introduce certain things again, just happend on the two months of great health.

Now I am going to go back on it and slowly re-introduce one food group at a time.

I think I can get rid of most of them, however I know Barametric Pressure, lack of sleep, and stress can cause them as well. But like you say it may be the combination of foods and those above may be the real triggers.

I am so glad that I stumbled upon this forum. I cannot drink even one beer without getting a headache. Within minutes of consuming alcohol, my face, chest, and arms become extremely red and blotchy. The headache usually starts about 15 minutes later. I've dealt with being red and blotchy since I started drinking when I was 21 (I'm now 31) but the headaches only started about 2 years ago. Nothing helps. My thyroids function normally and am not diabetic. I've been tested several times. My doctor referred me to a specialist and they attempted to prescribe Topamax. Unfortunately, I take a medication that cannot be taken with Topamax due to the risk. I've pretty much given up on drinking alcohol at this point because it's not worth the headache. I can deal with being red & blotchy but cannot deal with a headache. It really stinks because every once in awhile it's nice to have a few drinks and relax.

In some ways, heartening to see more people posting on here about this problem (the more there are of us, the more likely someone medical MAY take an interest one day) although sad to welcome you to such an unpleasant 'club'.
Looking through these last few new posts however, they all seem to be variations on the same theme - with suggested 'cures' following that same path - i.e. soy products ... darker alcohols not causing problems, etc.
If those new to the forum would care to scroll back to posts around the #285 area, you'll note that I did a precis of everyone's posts since I first raised this in 2008.
It seems to bear out that (a bit like diseases such as MS) the infuriating fact is that what will work for one does not necessarily work for another. I have even recorded that someone drinking non-alcoholic beers can get the headaches too.
So ... overall, keep the suggestions coming ... but, thus-far, we don't seem to have reached a common set of causes or treatments by any means - apart from (usually!) alcohol.

I am writing to thank you! Your post seems to have allowed me to drink alcohol without a pounding headache (sometimes migraine) again. I seemed to have developed what I think is an allergy to alcohol. I took a drug store brand allergy medicine (without the pseudoephedrine as you suggested) a few hours before having drinks and I didn't get the nasty terrible headache (which usually lasts several days). I wasn't able to have 1-2 drinks without getting it before. I just celebrated my birthday having cocktails three nights in a row!!! Nothing. I thank you!! :)

So glad to realize its not just me. Has anyone tried Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)? I recently went to my doctorand mentioned my frequent headaches. He said they were Migraines and told me to take 400mg of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) every day. He said it could take up to 90 days to see results. I took it for about two weeks, and became optomistic and had a couple of drinks and of course paid dearly. However, when I look it up online, there seem to be alot of people who are getting good results with this. I have read all of the posts here and no one has mentioned Vitamin B2. Anyone out there heard of this or more importantly used this methed and had good results? Thanks.

Try allergy medicine (without the pseudoephedrine) as it sounds like you suffer like I did. I drink socially a few times a month... this helped me and I no longer have the terrible (several day) headaches. Good luck!

Yes, I too suffer from this problem, as well as Clusters for the past 10 years and a constant headache every day for the past 20+ years. I have totaly sworn off ALL alcohol, because no matter what I try I don't have good luck with it. Being a Cluster sufferer makes me more at risk for the alcohol HA's. I have tried everything talked about on this forum and have not had any luck with anything. Although I have not seen anyone with my same problems ie. daily headache and clusters.Good luck to you all!

Read all the posts, and wanted to add my two cents worth, especially after the recent posts regarding possible vision issues.

I'm a 41-yr. old male, and I have drank fairly heavily for the past twenty years. Beer has always been my beverage of choice. I'm 6'4" and 270 lbs., so I can really pound them down without becoming "stupid" drunk or worrying about a hangover the next day.

About a month ago, I started to wake up in the middle-of-the-night with a pounding headache, usually from one-two hours after I had stopped drinking for the night and had gone to bed. From the posts above, I would describe it as a "cluster" headache. They would usually last from one-two hours, until I eventually discovered that a cup of strong coffee would kill it within 20-30 minutes.

The headaches seemed to be getting worse and worse, until just last week, it hit me early in the evening, after just my 2nd beer. I proceeded to down a cup a coffee, and simply retired early for the night after the headache subsided.

The following day, I decided to try an experiment and not drink anything. I made it until about 10pm before temptation gave in, and I had two beers. The headache was already en-route before I finished the first one. Another cup of coffee, another early night.

I've picked up a few ideas on here that I might try eventually, (excedrin, magnesium, sudafed...) but for the time being, I think I'm just going to refrain from drinking for a bit. I could definitely stand to lose quite a few pounds and several inches, and it's all beer-otherwise my diet is not too bad.

Want I really wanted to share on here is a possible common-link that was mentioned in a prior post. I have been severely near-sighted since I was a young child. It has been three years since my last eye exam due to lack of insurance. Six months ago I realized that my vision was noticeably changing. Since I am still using the same prescription, I know that my eyes are undergoing some level of stress. It will be interesting to find out if a new prescription will help with the "clusters."

I had a lumber punchture to test for meningitis after a four day constant headache never been right since pain in back numb leg still get headaches. Ostiopathe told me it was the position I held my head when relaxed like when you drink you chilled it was narrowing the pipes that take blood to your head so not cleaning blood totaly giving me headach. I have to lay on my side hand on hip legs bent a little head on a pillow tucked into my neck to allow blood to get through this he/p headache to clear in 10 mins. Water also hepls and ice pack on back of neck too cover in towel first so not cold next to skin. Also acnipunture can reset you. It's a factor of toxicity in some drinks go for pure grapes wine or hops beer and never get on offer ****.

So many of you talk about alcohol being a problem. If only it was that easy for me. I don't drink any alcohol, rarely any cheese, no soy, but have fought with serious migraines for almost 4 years. But if someone said to give up chocolate, that is MY true addiction. I did have some serious blood testing to see what foods I might have intolerances to--think it costs thousands of dollars.

It only showed slight intolerances to gluten and dairy. My neurologist said there was no reason to change anything in my diet. I went gluten-free for 6 weeks with absolutely no difference except that my migraines were a bit worse during the time. Giving up dairy would be major for me, so I never tried to elimnate that.

A lot has helped me--now have minor headaches most of the time after severe 24/7 ones before. No more trips to the ER. A skin gel relieves most of my developing migraines which I use almost daily, with none of it going into my blood stream. Botox has greatly helped me, as well as nerve block and trigger point injections. And most recently a Butrans patch (low level of opiates 24/7 with NO side effects). No alcohol allowed with the patch. I got woozy from just drinking part of a non-alcoholic beer--yes they do have a little bit of alcohol. What a SHOCK that was. Plus I do PT almost daily to relieve tightness in my neck and shoulder area. Sometimes need PT on my back as well.

As far as the Botox, studies show that it particularly helps those who have not gotten much help from the daily preventative medications. I am one of those, except that Petadolex, an herbal butterburr medication has helped me. Also take magnesium and COQ10 for my migraines, but never noticed much difference from them, but doesn't hurt to keep taking them.

So I have tried many, many things, which a lot of them have helped me.

Have any of the rest of you tried any of the many things that I mention?

it is funny how only caffeinated aspirin works as a guaranteed prophylactic to avoid alcohol related headaches. not advil, sudafed, tylenol or any other analgesic.

i suspect we start getting alcohol headaches later in life when we have cut back on our drinking. maybe our bodies became used to the dilation of our venous system when we were young drinkers and when later in life we slow down to only a couple of drinks a week our bodies recognize alcohol for the poison it is and react with pain. ewagner44

Thanks for all your efforts to coordinate info from these posts. I also have been suffering from cluster migraines for several years. Ive tried Sumatriptan & Maxalt, Nortriptaline (sp) & TONS of Ibuprofen. I did the South Beach diet to rid my body of my sugar addiction which meant no alcohol for 2 straight weeks & no headaches during that time. Was it from less sugar or no alcohol - who knows? I also do better with LOTS of water. IVE TRIED botox in the occipital muscles, but no big help.

Hi SanFraniscoGirl! Thanks for you advice...I identify with you most on this thread...and believe me, I've read them all. What's the name of your nutritionist? I live am a 24 year old female in New York, have the same exact problem as you and as I get older my migraines get worse from even one glass of wine. I'd like to know if your nutritionist can refer someone in New York City or Long Island. Thank you so much.

Just found this thread and yet another pleased not to be the only one!

Use to be a moderate drinker, now 1 glass can give me a very bad headache, neck ache and nausea usually lasting to about 4pm next day.

First noticed a few years ago when i had a beer with a chinese meal. If i didnt have a beer i was fine. One beer or wine and i was really bad. Chinese without alchohol, not a problem. Chinese meals in china with a beer also no problem!

Had lower back problems and drank without problems and my Dad gets migraines after 1 drink and always has done! However i can sometimes go for a meal at a friends, have various wines and port and be fine the next day. Look forward to the answer at some time in the future.

Ive suffered from cluster headaches all my life just about. Ive had some of the best neurolist(now dead) Only thing ever worked for me ws predizone, verapamil, n oxygen, & ritalin. These always happenned when im super tired, or just sleeping. I stopped painting cars, & the headackes stopped. I dont paint anymore, but theyre back. Ive been on double bounds of predizone. Never a third bout. Ive tried imetrex, it worked maybe twice, but ended up with heart problems. These r so severe, i wish i could puke them off. I moved to another city, & they put me on predizone, & it will work for 32 days, then hav to up the dose. I went to new doctor, told him everything! He told me he would order oxygen, n more predizone. Well it was never ordered! Went back today, & he ws talking with neoroligist, & i am being refused treatment, cas i told them i cannot handle this with my heart condition. In on a black list, & no one will treat me, & i have over 1000 pages of past history. I told them, i just need enough predizone to move (fly to another city), & i was refused treastment! Last nite, i had 2 more gun shot headaches 1 hour apart. I have had loss of vision. I keep getting refused treatment, & i know i will die from this. All i can do is run, & screams, till i collapse. I have full health insurance. No-one will help me. I even ask to go to old folks home, & dr. walked out on me! My brother(very inteligent) says theyre just lookin for a way to kill me, legally. I REALLY NEED HELP! IM afraid to sleep more than 1 hour. This has been goin on for over 2 monthes! Right side paralis. I thought it mite be against the law to let someone die like this? I am now refused help in, vt. , nh., & new york! HELP ME PLEASE! More i complain, more i get abused. My Ny. doctor, i think they spoke to him, cas he asked me what state i would like to die in. Im an honest person. I dont deserve this! What shoyld i do. I told last doctor, if i ever get another(3 years ago, it will kill me) These r the worst, 7& i am no baby. My brother tells me to hop on a plane, & get out of town. He also told me, if i mention a pre-existing condition, i wont get help in another state. I also have a fair amount of money saved up, & no will. I have never been so abused in my life! I did not even ask for pain medicine. I did ask for oxygen, & hope i get that! I had a divorse, & they r trying to make it look like i am crazy, but i know these headackes better tha a lot of doctors. My last, n newist neurolist, called her back, n told her i need to go to old folks home. She told me to call my primary care doctor. I did that, & would not answer my questions. I am so scared, i dont know what to do? This is a crippling disease, /7 i know i cant break it, without a stronger dose of predize. In past, after 2 faiures of predizone, they put me on Sancert, & that did work , but took another 2-3 weeks to kick in, & is very strong, like LSD. i DONT LIKE IT, & JUST BECAUSE I FILED 1 REPORT ON A LIEING PHIECHIETRIST, I HAVE ALL THE DOCTORS, NOW THAT REFUSE ME TRATMENT! I f i call medicare up, im afraid, i will start world war 3. Someone please help me!

I forgot to tell you, i just finished this email, & i need to lay down, & i was just passed out before i wrote it. Just about bedbound. They know if they give me enough prdizone, i can move , & go to another state. I had big hopes today, now shattered. I was ready to pay my bills 3-4 weeks ago, & my attacks started again! I hate saying this, but im starting to get almost good enough to drive n sleep, at the same time. Not to smart! I just pray to God someone can helps me!

Well, I'm certainly no medic - and on the 'wrong' side of the Atlantic to know what could be on offer for you, but what seems to be clear from your posts is that, at no stage, have you mentioned any kind of scan being done on your head.
All I can say from a layman's point of view, is that your condition - although obviously related to others on this site by definition - sounds very different. I think that, if I were suffering from the symptoms you say you endure, I would be looking for one or all of the scans (I think) are on offer - i.e.:- computerised tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The practitioners out there may well tell me I'm talking a load of garbage but, in the absence of any input from them amongst our threads, I think we have to look after ourselves. Given the symptoms you say you suffer, I can't think of any other way of discovering what's wrong with you. It really is awful that any human being should sound so desperate - especially in a civilised country.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this ... ?

Mark, I recently watched a report on migranes (migraines) that was produced in the USA. Apparently, according to this report, there is a very large portion of the population who are born with a hole between the Aorta chambers of their hearts. That hole is easily repaired and the migranes (migraines) are gone. As I recall, the migranes (migraines) are caused, in this instance, by not enough oxygen being carried to the brain. That will take a cardiologist to do the investigating.

Well, that's an interesting addiion to the mix!
I suppose we need to clearly differentiate between all the variations on a theme here before we go any further?
If I refer back to a cross-section of posts, it seems apparent that our little, but growing, band of sufferers have different takes on describing their own particular headaches - i.e.: clusters, migraines, etc..
Once we can clearly define which is which, obviously programs such as this are a good start for confirmed migraine sufferers - but I wonder how those findings would relate to us 'ordinary drunks' ... or are we all, in reality, migraine sufferers to varying degrees and with varying triggers?

You have something there! Me to, i have apnea. I also started getting cluster headaches over 30 years ago, after catching carbon monoxide poisoning. All i have to do is go in a garage, n 1 car could be running, & i start gagging, Gert all my clusters, same time of day. Worst cronic (chronic) case neurolist ever seen! Well had a bout for over 2 weeks now. These have been the worse(lost muy eyesite, until i take cordozone. Also told a neurolist a secret, i had to change time of day thry come. Told him it ws ritalin. He went on to say, that they were just doin studies on that. Sure enough, it is on the interenet, I am still so sick, that i fall asleep, & start dreaming, like , RIGHT NOW!. I hope mto finish this later, & tell u , u will need to be on oxygen thrapy, Verapaamil a great preventive med. MORE, later

I just wanted to add a little for you. My cluster headackes, always were at same time of day, & most always in my sleep, for over 30 years. I cut painting cars out in my life, & they did stop for the years i stopped painting. I still drank wen i wanted to, but never got them, if i didnt paint. Never had cluster headackes, in my life, till i caught carbom monoxide poisoinnig. My clusters would run for up to 2 hours-10 plus hours, twice a day. First 1 , i ever got, had a gun, but couldnt give myself the courage to kill the pain. I did hit my nose to divert the pain. Broke my nose, but it didnt help with the cluster. After 20 years of these, i started doin my own therapy. 1 of them was of course, oxygyn, predizone(never worked forst dose), & of course, i will never quit verapamil 240m. twice a day! If i am luicky n can go 15 days without getting one, im usually good for a year. These croronic clusters, r also seasonally, usually 2 seasons out of the year. Does not matter what state i live in. ANYWAY, I TOLD 1 OF MY NEUOLIST ABOUT RITALIN, (20 YEARS AGO, & HE SAID, THATS FUNNY. THEY R DOING STUDIES IN THAT AT bOSTON! The other day i looked it up, & sure enough they were doing the studies.(i also had a prescription for this med, for addh) I have been on every medicine in the book, plus some! I found out just over a month ago, that Suboxone, has been the only med. that works in 2-30 min. once i get the warning sign. My right side of my brain, can always feel it clogged 2 TIMES IN MY LIFE, I KNEW I WOULD NOT GET RID OF THESE EVEN ON SANCERT(SISTER DRUG TO LSD), so i made my own concauction, that works instantly(on me, & i know it would work on anyone) hope to give it out to someone before i die. I have over 1000 pages of documented history reports on these from me. My type of cluster, i would not wish on my worse enemy!. I also have sleep apne, & use to work 20 hour days. I am not a heavy person. I got IMETREX, once to work. Zomag s few times, but usually after 2nd bout with predizone would have to do sancert, & after 20 days on that, i would be free of this hell. Ive been able to run them out of my system, a few times, but u must be able to puke naturally. I imagine my instant cure, will be out in a few years? I am on my 3rd day without a cluster! The only other way i nkow how to get rid of these is do not sleep for 15 days(very hard to do, but worth the try) Self indicting puking does not work. Your pain has to be so strong, then if ur lucky u will puke, & it goes away. This way u have no 3 day hangover from a shot of morphine up ur butt, which hosp. dont like to do! More later

I am having a difficult time following your complaints from you spoilher101, and am VERY surprised that Mark46 seems to follow it. (BTW, no mention of alcohol in his posting.)

Any time that you tell a doctor that you are at risk with a heart condition, they cannot legally or ethically give it to you. Spoilher101 says, "i am being refused treatment [prednizone], cas i told them i cannot handle this with my heart condition." and " i know i cant break it [cluster headaches], without a stronger dose of predize." Strong doses are NOT the thing to give someone with a heart condition. And to have long periods of time on steriods is extremely harsh on the body.

You also say," it [Prednizone] will work for 32 days, then hav to up the dose." Also, you say on the one hand, "In past, after 2 faiures of predizone, they put me on Sancert, & that did work , but took another 2-3 weeks to kick in, & is very strong, like LSD." i DONT LIKE IT..." and then you state after saying that you don't like Sancret in very strong terms, you then complain about not getting it for 20 days, you say, "but usually after 2nd bout with predizone would have to do sancert, & after 20 days on that, i would be free of this hell. Ive been able to run them out of my system..."

And it's not like they aren't giving you anything else for your pain, which you even admit have helped you. You say, "I got IMETREX, once to work, but ended up with heart problems." "Zomag s few times," worked and "I found out just over a month ago, that Suboxone, has been the only med. that works in 2-30 min. once i get the warning sign." You are also being given verapamil.

On July 19, you say, " I told them, i just need enough predizone to move (fly to another city), & i was refused treastment!" "They know if they give me enough prdizone, i can move , & go to another state. I had big hopes today, now shattered."

But you have plenty of opportunities to move to another state, unlike a lot of us who have daily 24/7 severe migraines for years. Because you state, "My clusters would run for up to 2 hours-10 plus hours, twice a day." and "These croronic clusters, r also seasonally, usually 2 seasons out of the year." And on July 22, " I am on my 3rd day without a cluster! " Plenty of opportunity to move if you wanted to.

You say that they think you are crazy. Besides all of your conflicting statements, you say, "The only other way i nkow how to get rid of these is do not sleep for 15 days" and "I did hit my nose to divert the pain. Broke my nose, ..."

Mark, I would be very surprised if the medical place hasn't done all the scans that you mention which rarely show anything except something serious like multiple sclerosis or a brain aneurysm. Cobrarog did bring up a different viewpoint. It is a question whether the medical people will listen to much that he has to say at this point, but it may help others.

I probably wouldn't have responded to spoilher101's posting except for YOUR posting which included, "It really is awful that any human being should sound so desperate - especially in a civilised country." It was mostly for your attention.

With the inevitable benefit of hindsight (!) Sara ... it is apparent that my layman's knowlege of medicine in general led me to make that comment. There are, of course, many possible reasons why 'spoilhers101's situation could have developed and there was far too little information for me to make a comment like that.
Overall, I suppose we may ask too much of our practitioners inasmuch that we expect tham to nail every ailment in the book ... instantly. The frustrations are obvious all round, particularly over problems such as the one we've all been writing about here since 2008.

I appreciate your last posting. But I think that it is reasonable for us to expect a lot from our practitioners. With all the conflicting information in spoilhers101 posting (which I didn't include all of them), It is impossible to know what is going on, except that his doctors have covered a number of treatments and are not denying him treatment as he claims from his own information.

And again, some time ago, I highly complimented you for your compilation of so much information on the topic of this posting--alcohol.

I used to curiously watch my brother and be filled with such pity for him, amazed at the intensity of his persistent headaches, and later appalled at the general lack of anything that provided a consistent form of relief. Its unnerving to witness a grown man, after several hours of squirming and crying out, eventually try to knock himself out by beating his head against the headboard of his bed because he has so little time left to find the recuperation of either sleep or unconsciousness, whichever mercifully came first, before having to wake and face the day.
To me, at the time, I was convinced that he had a life threatening condition or neurological disorder. He has been tested and tested again by several doctors over the years, and put on numerous different medications. From migraine treatments to blood pressure medication, nothing has helped. He was tested for allergies, had eye exams, and his diet was altered. This began with him about 10 years ago, he's 42 now.
Today, he has given up trying to find the answer and has resigned himself to a life spent with the pain. He's even developed an odd if not dangerous maneuver, where he locks his arm around the back side of his head and squeezes for several minutes again and again, like placing himself in a wrestlers sleeper hold. I questioned him, and he simply responded that he's cutting off blood flow and oxygen to his head, trying to achieve "dizziness" or he knocks himself out, both of which, provide some relief and doesn't involve striking blows to his head.
August of last year, it happened to me. Startled from sleep, a stabbing pain across the left side of my head. I was in shock, couldn't believe the level of pain. In my upper teeth, in my sinus, behind my eye, wrapping around to the back of my neck. Over the following few weeks, I gradually went into increasing episodes. I peaked at 3 headaches a day, one was always 2 to 3 hours into sleep, the others varied. All were 1 to 3 hours each. Then, after about 2 months, they gradually decreased in frequency and duration, and went away. I went to the doctor a few times, was empirically put on antibiotics and treatment for a sinus infection, which had no effect, also had an MRI done, nothing. When they went away, i didn't concern myself much further, other than to thank goodness they were gone. I also had a new level of respect for my brother's struggles. My pain tolerance was pushed time and again, and I thought I barely made it through two months. I can't imagine 10 years, or even longer as suffered by some of the posters here. Through discussion with my brother, our headaches are very nearly the same. A hereditary link? Probably worth investigating.
It's August again, and I'm back in an increasing stage these last few weeks. I haven't been to the doctor yet, as I want to be armed with all of the information about each episode I can gather. From what I've been eating, to what I may assume to have been a trigger. These headache logs are available at a few different websites, just google them. I can feel them coming, maybe 15 to 20 minutes prior to the event. An ache in my upper left gums or lower sinus before the crippling head rip begins.
From reading over this forum, it's a simple matter to determine that there must be various underlying causes and types of headaches occurring for the sufferers here. Many with the common link of alcohol consumption being a trigger. I am no different. Any alcohol, of any type, i have tried to consume during my "pain months" is, nearly without fail, a soon-to-be severe headache. It begins as soon as I begin to feel the slight effect of alcohol. I can make it though a drink and a half on average when I know it's coming. I've tried beer, wine, light, dark. All the same, which leads me personally, to believe that its the effect of the alcohol itself, ethanol, and it's immediate affects on the body, and not an additive of any sort that is the trigger.
I have yet to discover anything over the counter that provides any relief whatsoever without being taken to an ill advised level. Ibuprofen, Naproxin, Acetaminophen, popping a few BC powders, taking sinus related headache medicines, etc...etc..ad nauseum...trying to kill an elephant with a pellet gun has become my opinion. 2 pills of any of that isn't touching the pain, 4 wont either. 12 might, but obviously not a good idea. A combination of any of it hasn't worked either. Taking any before I attempt to have a drink has zero effect as well.
I probably have the most in common with people who believe their headaches are sinus related. I am prone to sinus infections, and have a slightly deviated septum. I have had periods of snoring and sleep apnea and can say I surely don't have the best nasal system happening as far as being able to breathe properly and clearly all the time.
My only form of relief I have found is to hop into a hot shower when I'm having a headache. I breathe near the hot water vapor and use a pulsing water massage setting on the back of my neck. I use a water temperature that I can barely withstand. For me, besides breathing moisture, it has a secondary effect, which is to "redirect sensation" as it were. I try and focus on the hot water burning me slightly and where, and relax, try not to "think" about the pain exploding in my head.
Prior to visiting a doctor next week, I think I'll try the advice of a pain relieving solution of some sort in a bowl with the towel over my head, as I read on a post here. As long I can withstand sitting still long enough without throwing the bowl through a window that is lol. I'm also going to try and ask for a prescription nasal spray when I do go the doctor next week. Maybe that holds promise.
I've appreciated reading this forum, it has at least taught me a few questions to ask, or tests to request from the professionals when I get opportunity to do so. I wouldn't wish these types of migraine or cluster headaches on anyone, and am sorry for those who suffer them. Good luck in finding what works to make the pain leave you alone.

The picture you paint for both yourself and your brother sounds horrible.
The only thing that didn't come across was whether alcohol was involved in all cases, although I can see it did latterly?
Additionally, although sinus obstruction has certainly been mentioned many times here, like many other mooted 'causes' it doesn't seem to stand the test of time - i.e.: I have always had sinus problems, but I haven't always had the headaches.
The one thing that seems to be a constant, therefore, is that, predominantly, this has visited us all only in recent years. The question remains:- "Why?".

Will,
Why on earth has your brother not had any other treatments besides medication? None of the meds helped me either. What about Botox, nerve block or trigger point injections? What about accupuncture? What about a Butrans patch? All of these have helped me tremendously. Have him call to find out who can give him Botox and to get a better doctor. That would be a headache specialist, a pain management doctor, or even a far better neurologist than has treated him in the past.

As far your headaches, why don't you go to a doctor and get prescribed abortive migraine pain pills which can be used 2 times a week. More times than that, you will need a daily preventative medication which may help you even though it didn't help your brother.

Let me know about my suggestions. No one should have to suffer the intolerable pain of migraines. Many commit suicide from chronic pain, so PLEASE get him the help that he needs ASAP.
Sara

Perhaps it's a combination of age with sinus/deviated septum etc. As we get older our throat muscles will weaken and especially after alcohol may affect breathing and oxygen supply. Do many of us snore?

The clamping of the neck that Will's brother does is similar to what works for me sometimes. With fingers interlocked I clamp around the back and sides of my neck, holding few many minutes. At the time it helps, but sometimes it reduces it after too.

I'll just mention a remedy I was recently told about but yet to try: to put ice on the roof of the mouth. This is to cool the blood going to the brain.

What I didn't get across very well was that there seem to be no reports of this problem from previous generations - suggesting that it is a 21st-century ailment. Of course, we also have to recognize that discussion forums such as this, which would have brought such problems to light, did not exist. Nevertheless, there would surely be evidence of it somewhere ... ?
Will have to try the ice thing - but I don't suppose it would help in a gin and tonic ... !

Mark and all,
I agree with your evaluations. I've had a sinus infection for the last 3 years which has been a-symtomatic for the past 2.5 years. At first I was told that my migraines were being caused by it. A sinus infection, not a sinus obstruction, can cause head pressure. But then I was told by a pulmonologist, two neurologists and an ENT doctor that there was no way that my severe migraines could possibly be caused by my sinus infection. And the first ENT doctor recommended surgery which he said was not a guarantee for helping the migraines. Boy was he right about the lack of a guarantee. Always get second opinions before any surgery.
Sara

Ive had cluster ' suicide headaches' for 20years,which are unbearable when i have an attack.i dont get them all the time,but every 2-3 years i get a bout of them,It took me years to figure out they were triggered by alcohol,it wasnt until the smoking ban came in the uk that i reaised it was alcohol and not smoke that triggered them.
Recently iv been disgnosed with systemic candida which made me very poorly.on talking to the specialist it seems my headaches may be connected to candida.Im know on a strict candida diet(no alcohol unfortunately),which eliminates yeast and fermented sugars.Im feeling much healthier,my airways are clearer,im producng much less mucus (which I believe was what was causing my extremely painful headaches),have eliminated a athletes foot problem/fungal nail problem with just diet alone.
Can i suggest that anyone with these type of headaches consider if the problem is candida.please dont dismiss it,hust have a look into this and then make your mind up.
Im hoping to be able to re-introduce alcohol back into my life by Xmas,hopefully by then my body will have a better balance/flora to be able to tolerate it

My name is Dayle, I am 28, male, and I have been suffering the same as the rest of you for the past 2 years. I don't usually have migraines outside of drinking other than when my blood sugar gets too low for too long(not eating within 30 minutes to an hour of feeling hungry). The drinking induced migraines have gradually gotten worse to the point of just a single drink giving me a headache or migraine in just 30 minutes to an hour. Like many of you, my doctor labeled me as an alcoholic, despite my liver function and other bloodwork checks coming back flawless.

I read through this whole thread(took about 4 hours) and took notes on all of the possibilities that may apply to me. First I took acetaminophen(Excedrin) soon after drinking about an ounce of top shelf tequila on the rocks, just to see if it would work, and it certainly did. Knowing this wasn't a good idea to maintain such a thing, I went on to the thought of adding sugar to the mix, so I made some simple syrup to go with the tequila and added some lemon juice(margarita-esque) and it seemed to help a bit that night, but the next time I tried it wasn't quite as successful(dull headache after 30 minutes with a headache the next day).

So, I opted to move onto the Kudzu Root idea mentioned and it actually works quite well, particularly when mixed with the high sugar drinks. I was able to drink 2 pints of Fat Tire the other night without any issue and another night I was able to have 2 fairly strong margaritas(that didn't have nearly as much sugar as the margaritas I was making at home). I haven't been brave enough to return to drinking whiskey on the rocks like I used to, but I shall do that soon and (hopefully) report back. Just wanted to chime in to let you know my findings sooner rather than later. Best of luck to you all with your issues.

NOTE: I would suggest reading about Kudzu Root before just starting on it, as it has a number of impacts on the body beyond its impact on alcohol. It could mess with hormones in pre-menopausal females, for example, due to its interaction with estrogen receptors.

Holy Macaroni – I could not believe I found this topic. I have good news and bad news. I was in the same boat as most of you are in the thread. I am a male 42. Have done some damage in my 20’s (You know what I mean). I was suffering from instant headache even after a one glass of beer. And that headache could last 2\3 days or even longer. This condition started about a year or so ago. I like to have a beer or two over the weekend and I knew I would be having headache for a day or two. The symptoms were not the same all the time. Usually it would be on my left side of the head. I did all kind of things (Lowered the intake of beer, switched to wine, hard liquor , taking an Advil before, or after the drink, Drink plenty of water, Drink slow , ate a piece of butter before the drink.. etc etc.). What usually worked for me was if I drank slow enough the intensity of headache was less. The headache was not pounding like when you have in migraines. It was about 3 to 4 in the scale of 10. It was just fu$$$ing annoying and hampered my regular lifestyle.

Finally I caved in and went to the Doc. My BP was 118\78. He could not tell anything and ordered a MRI. MRI was pretty clean except some sinus congestion! I did not have any congestion or cold or stuffy nose or anything but there was some kind of congestion. Doc asked me to take the Almighty (drum roll please…)
MUCINEX. MUCINEX is usually taken for cough congestion. Doc told me it takes 7 to 8 days to work into sinus area. It has cleared my sinus congestion that I did not know existed and I can have few drinks and I don’t get the kind of headache that I used to get. I am pretty pleased with the results. The MUCINEX I took was just a regular one, no DM etc, attached to it. I do not have any side effects with it. This is over the counter medicine and you can try. This is a good news part. The bad new part is it may not work for all of you.

This is a 21st century condition – I believe is caused by all the processed food that we eat. Our food today comes from a factory belt instead of our back yard!

I HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW!!! I am a 28 year old Hispanic female. @ Work right now and I can't even focus. So sick of Migraines!! I've had them for about 9 years. I get them from pretty much everything; sleeping too much, not sleeping enough, not eating at my regular time, stress, hormones, running (I love running and it really ***** that I can't even do that) and of course drinking, I had a couple last night and now I am paying for it. I didn't even get drunk, I had a good buzz, didn't have one last night but this morning it got me but definitely woke up feeling it. On my left side mostly, the light in my office is bright :*(, I threw up this morning, took some meds but- helped for a bit and now it's back on and strong. I am sorry you all go through this, it really is very debilitating. Hope everyone finds something that helps. I will try some of the ideas given here. I didn't get to read the whole thing because the computer is kind of bright and it's hard to keep my eyes open... Thanks everyone!!

If only life could be so easy as it is for you. If you looked further on this website you would find people who are battling severe migraines almost daily or daily with little help from everything that they have been treated with.

I've known for years that if I didn't eat a good breakfast and if I went too long without eating, I would always get a strong headache. So I always ate on time. I also learned that if I don't get enough sleep, that I would get headaches. I've never been able to drink much. So no big deal at all.

NOW I've got 24/7 severe migraines unless I get at least 12 hours of sleep since a stroke 4 years ago which caused the migraines. I need to get Botox injections, nerve block and trigger point injections every 4 to 10 weeks. I also wear a 24/7 pain patch plus take a daily migraine prevention med. Plus I need strong pain pills when I get a severe migraine anyway.

So get with it. Live a more balanced lifestyle and you will have no problems. Lucky you.

Why the disparaging remarks about a perfectly reasonable post? No-one has the right to judge whether others have it easier or not. Disgraceful remarks we can do without in this otherwise brilliant forum.

I suppose that I shouldn't have posted it. I had the exact same triggers in the past, which I just dealt with it. She has a very easy way of controlling her headaches. But I suppose everyone is not as responsive to what their body is trying to tell them. I do apologize.

Hello my fellow sufferers. While I'm sorry to hear you all suffer the same affliction, I am happy to know I'm not alone. I am 35, from the U.S. (Illinois) and have been suffering virtually the same symptoms as everyone else for several years now. I know the easy solution is "quit drinking" but I love a good craft beer and red wine from time to time and I'm not ready to quit. I also don't think medicated to drink is a solution at all- I will continue to follow these posts and update you if I find any home remedies or medical solutions.

Whilst all our attempts for a permanent cure for this affliction continue, a couple of things occur to me - one a 'thought' and the other a temporary 'fix'.
The first is that any kind of ongoing and niggling pain can wear us all down very easily...and headaches very much demonstrate that in my opinion.
Overall - to Buzi_blu and Sara12345 - I think one of the only simple conclusions is that this is definitely a question of 'degree', with reactions ranging from irritability to resignation at the symptoms. I think we've all been where 'eliv12' is now and, as we all know here, there's a LOT more to come - but, right now, her symptoms are 'the worst' as far as she's concerned.
My 'fix' - it certainly helps me - is using a combination of 'Head-On' (USA) or '4-Head' (UK) and 'Icy-Hot' Power Gel across the forehead and along the back of my neck (any other 'cold' topical analgesic may work in the absence of the latter).
Having said that, I have to concede that my symptoms don't appear anywhere near as bad as the ones suffered by some of our correspondents(!!!).

My posting was not responding to the degree of her headaches. I would have had the same response if she had said that her migraines were so severe that she had to go to the ER frequently. My posting was simply responding to the simplicity of correcting her malady. Everyone's pain is legitimate, and pain is pain no matter what the degree. In the second sentence of my initial posting I pointed out, "...with little help from everything that they have been treated with." That was the crux of my remark, that there are others that cannot find even a complex solution, much less a simple obvious solution.

I am one with all of you. I am curious to know how many of you are over acheivers, perfectionist's and repressioners ( ie control freeks) Our bodies interpret these conditions as fear .. John Sarno MD's book The Mind Body Connection.. Love is the only truth, Where there is love nothing unlike itself can survive in its presence. I've tried it all (pills,diet excersize,) What works best is an acceptance of self and the ability to say F*** You to neck pain and eczema and head aches ect ect.. Good luck people!! Tell someone you love them today.. YOU FIRST!!! :)

Yes, I have finally found that acceptance of myself and my very limited life with daily headaches has been the key to not having severe depression. And I have learned to not focus on my all over body pain from fibromyalgia, daily headaches and all the other sources of pain. But I can hardly say "F*** you to my migraines, or I can easily land in the hospital for not treating them early on. (I only go when I can only vomit and have gotten severely dehydrated.) I need to pay close attention to developing more severe migraines and treat them with RESPECT or I can get into far more trouble. Thanks for your positive message.

Given that this thread has been going on for around four years now (is this any kind of record?), it seems logical to suspect that we're all simply going to have to bide our time until someone in the medical community decides to get involved to a decent degree. In the interim, we simply DO have to get on with it, don't we?
However, maybe something else worthy of thought:- I have suffered two blackouts in the past six months and, despite exhaustive testing on just about everything in my local hospital, no real cause for them has been identified.
They have looked at my blood pressure medication (Losartan) and an increased dose in 2010 possibly causing a low blood pressure reaction - such as postular hypotension (dizziness on getting up suddenly) but that didn't appear likely.
But, now, maybe something new to consider:- I am one of those people who always believed that I only needed to drink when I felt thirsty. However, my lady doctor is of the opinion thaat it may be worth now looking at dehydration as a basic cause of a few of my symptoms including the blackouts and headaches.
So...I am on a month's trial of consciously downing two litres of liquid per-day (NOT tea, coffee or alcohol unfortunately!) in an effort to increase my body's hydration and see what effect that may have on everything.
Some of you may laugh at this suggestion, but, apart from the fact that I believe there are a lot of sufferers in this thread whose symptoms are probably caused by something entirely different, I think the only way we're going to crack this is by trying everything ...no matter how unlikely it may seem ...?

You are definately right about the water. My neurologist has told me several times to drink at lot of water to help my migraines.

But I did pass out one time after getting up in the night, going to the toilet, then on the way back I passed out and then hit the wood floor with such force that my chin left a dent in the floor. Obviously I had to go to the ER right away--bleeding and in tremendous pain. So it wasn't from getting up suddenly. And I thought that it was after taking pain killers which I thought had dehydrated me. (The doctors were all excited thinking that I may have had another stroke, which was not the case.)

So yes, yours is a great suggestion!! But it is a trial to drink as much as you are drinking. Good luck with it.

Thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration. My advice is to monitor pee colour - too yellow then drink more. If not going often enough then definitely drink more.

With alcohol induced migraines, the only sure-fire way of avoiding them I have found is to drink regularly. If there is a gap of 3 days or more then I am highly likely to get a migraine. Has anybody else experienced this? To me, that implies some tolerance issue.

After dealing with the issue of headaches after a couple of beers for 20+ years, I am experimenting with 5htp (100 mg. 3 or 4 times per day). I have had success for the past week. Last night I put it to the test by having a beer right before going to bed. That has been a huge headache trigger in the past. I woke up without a hint of pain. My headaches typically start in the back of my neck and work their way around to my eye. The 5htp seems to be relaxing the back of my neck and providing a shield against the headaches. I have been fooled into thinking other things were working so I am not yet sold. I'll let you know.

Have to concede that I knew nothing about 5htp - so for the uninitiated, I got this from 5htp.com:-
"5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin. There is a massive amount of evidence that suggests that low serotonin levels are a common consequence of modern living. The lifestyle and dietary practices of many people living in this stress-filled era results in lowered levels of serotonin within the brain. As a result, many people are overweight, crave sugar and other carbohydrates, experience bouts of depression, get frequent headaches, and have vague muscle aches and pain. All of these maladies are correctable by raising brain serotonin levels."
So...one that hasn't been listed before and it will be interesting to hear what happens .....

Interesting article - although I think this sort of assessment of food and other allergies has been around for years with 'scratch tests', etc., etc.
Overall, I liken this to traversing an orbital road around a city, looking for signs about where to dive in and find the place you've been looking for. I'm absolutely certain that we've been circling around the solution and it's only a matter of time.
Having said that, I think there's a very good point in this article about the possible effect of current medications - such as anti-depressants - on systems already weakened by latter-day environmental concerns such as pollution, food additives, etc.
It would also account for the seeming fact that this 'affliction' has not reared its head in previous generations...or (generally-speaking, but not exclusively) on older people?
As (personally), I'm a bit of a mobile pill-box, maybe I could make a start by mentioning my own medication(s) in an effort to see if we can then discount/confirm any possible links:-
So:- a statin (Atorvastatin); a beta-blocker (heart) - Bisoprolol; an 'angiotensin II receptor antagonist' (blood pressure) - Losartan; a proton-pump inhibitor (heartburn) - Omeprazole; type-2 diabetes (Metformin) and last, but by no means least, an anti-depressant (Citalopram).
(Apart from this lot, I'm really quite a useful and fit citizen).

About a week or so ago I started getting immediate headache from a couple fingers of fine old port, 16yr aged in oak - 20% alc, hmmm.

I am not a heavy drinker, once was, and nothing for many years until a few months ago when I gave up giving up, as is my way. Saying never is its own problem I won't go into here.

To the chase; I read here about tyramine being a trigger and being present especially in older preserved food and drink and using epsom salts/magnesium sulfate to neutralise it. So, because I used to find water drunk after alcohol to head off a hangover I started drinking more than usual (living in Aus and it's hot too) and included one teaspoon of epsom salts dissolved and drunk in the morn and evening. This has given me the runs at times, which may not be a bad thing, and tonight after five days of the regime I had two glasses of port and enjoyed it and no headache 2 - 3 hours after - at all.

If your 'trial' continues to have that sort of success Mick, let us know.
Going back to my collation of everyone's temporary fixes on here last year, it seemed most of them involved the sort of things you wouldn't want to take on a regular basis.
Things like Epsom Salts, I would have thought, wouldn't do much harm (unless you have something like IBS in the first place)...and it would be great as a more 'permanent' temporary 'cure'.
In the meantime, a very merry Christmas to all our readers!!!

I think I have landed on something that works. I posted about 5-htp about a week ago. I have added help seed oil supplements (found at a health food store). The holidays have put this combination to the test. I have been able to drink in combination with trigger foods. I have been headache free. Yesterday, I went on a brewery tour and sampled 5 or 6 different beers. In the past, pain would have started in the back of my head before the end of the evening and certainly by the next morning. I woke up headache free. Very unusual.
I take 3-100 mg of 5-htp spread throughout the day (morning, late afternoon, and late evening. I buy the 5-htp with NO supplements added (vitamin b and valerian). I take three hemp seed oil supplements three times a day on days that I have a couple drinks. I take the last dose late in the evening. I take it twice a day on days with no alcohol.
I am cautiously optimistic. I wanted to put this out there for the community before New Years. It might be worth putting to the test over the weekend. Also, it might take a few days to work its way into your system.

This is certainly a global problem. Maybe our correspondents from Oz and the good ol' US of A will ensure we all have a chance of being seen in those New Year's Eve celebration telecasts on New Year's Day! Thanks for being guinea pigs for the rest of us guys.
Joking apart, really good news that these particular 'remedies' don't involve prescription meds of any kind. We maybe now have to hope that 'working backwards' from remedies can eventually lead us to the reason for this affliction.

Same symptoms here too.
I don't know if it will help you guys, but for me...
I have found the miracle drug. Naramig.

The 5-HT1 receptor is responsible for the dilatation and contraction of veins in our brains. This drug acts on it and ONLY on it. RESULT?

No more horrible migraines after two glasses of wine. I have talked to my neurologist and he told me It was safe to use this drug during moderate sessions of drinking. No harm done to my liver and no side-effects.

So glad I found this board! I have been experiencing the same issues many of you have described...headache a few hours after having 2-3 drinks of beer, wine, or hard alcohol (though a few times it has happened after only 1), persistent pain on the left side of my head, in the cheekbone and behind the left eye. I have been treating with Imitrex and Zomig before that. Recently I have been popping an Allegra-D 12 hour tablet about an hour before I start drinking. It's been hit and miss.

I will definitely try some of the solutions posed here. Hope I am on the road to getting some relief!

Yes, I read about it too.
But there is a website were a medic says that they have no reason to believe 5-HTP does any harm to heart valves. There is no substantial proof of that. Says he anyways...

I will continue to have the 5-htp because I wanna try and raise serotonin levels. So 100 mg at night before sleep. When I drink, I won't take any.
And will take a triptan on the weekends to have a withe wine.
F*** it.

Great shame about the 5-HTP at first sight.
The only thing I can maybe contribute here is a revisit to the precis I compiled a year ago to help everyone start again. I have not added anything from the 2012 posts yet:-

Specific pre-existing or present causal suspicions (where any were suggested) taken from all posts:-

hi everyone.
when i found this message board, i was happy to know i was not alone! i tried everything, but my struggle is over... i found a solution: maxalt.

i did not typically suffer from traditional migraines...
i got migraine-like headaches after certain (most) alchohol. stella artois from a bottle or can and some valpolicellas seemed fine, but nothing draft, most wines, beers (the darker the worser) and then eventually all scotch and liquor.
i would also get a "migraine" when refused sleep (less than 4 hours or so, depending on who much i got across the week), but that was usually because i couldn't sleep through the headache.
these big headaches lasted me usually about 18 hours or more.

finally my doctor suggested i try "maxalt" (rizatriptan), a migraine medication that constricts the veins in your head, next time i get a migraine. it took about an hour, maybe 40 minutes, and the migraine vanished.

i live in canada where we get free health care covered in our taxes, so it doesn't cost me more than the dispencing fee, but i understand that it is expensive otherwise - but you may find even that well worth it, considering i have no side effects, no longer have to resort to pain killers and as far as i can tell, this is much better for your poor liver than the other meds.

percocet used to numb the pain, but i still walked around in a stooper, clearly suffering from a less visible headache... this releves the cause and therefore all symptoms vanish.

also there seems to be some cumulative effect... i took it frequently the first two weeks, now less and less... either i'm "curing" or it lasts much longer than the 24 hours indicated. but that's just my experience.

i was happy to find this forum and now i am happy to do my duty - try maxalt, or maybe another vascual constrictor and see what happens for you.

good luck to you, sufferers! i felt your pain and now i'm enjoying craft beers, scotch and local wines again. hopefully i will see you out doing the same!

I too have suffered headaches from drinking (migraines) and it has greatly effected me. It is quite embarrassing to be almost bedridden after a social night out at a restaurant with a few drinks (I'm talking literally only 2 will do it). This can be especially frustrating around the holidays and at weddings, the drinks look so tempting and refreshing and the price I have to pay for just 1 is crazy. Of course I tend to give in to temptation more often than not then always promise to NEVER DRINK again!!
I have seen a neurologist for my headaches, read the 1-2-3 heal your headache book (which makes great points) and have been tested for allergies. I must admit that although some prescriptions work sometimes they usually only put a small dent in the really bad headaches only time and lots of sleep will heal these pounders. I have been put on a daily med of nortriptyline but gave up early due to it making me feel like a zombie and just don't like the idea of a daily med. I am currently trying migrelief which is a homeopathic pill containing magnesium and feverfew. I am also trying to cut out caffeine. I will let you all know if I have success. This problem has seriously been in issue for me since I had my first drop of alcohol I think my friends all think I'm crazy to be so sick, almost flu like symptoms after a night of drinking. I am 32 and this has happened since I was 18!! I am now a mother so I barely ever take the risk any more I just can't afford the down time.

Guys, maybe some of you will find this helpful.
I was diagnosed yesterday with CLUSTER HEADACHES.

Alcohol is a fatal trigger for the attacks. But I am having those headaches every day and I have been away from alcohol for 3 weeks now.

It differs from a Migraine because it happens like clockwork (mostly during the night), they last from 30 minutes to 2 hours. That is why I thought the 5-HTP I took at night caused me migraines. It wasn't this at all. It was the CH attacks.

The pain is 10x stronger, and most of the Neurologists diagnose you wrongly as a migraineur. Nothing appears in my CT scan or MRI.

It took a simple question from the third Neurologist I have seen to get a right diagnoses:

- When the headache starts, do you keep still in the dark unable to move your head and body without causing more pain, or do you move forwards and backwards and feel restless and agitated during the attack? I pace and move about and I feel like hitting my head on the wall when it is happening. That is a BIG BIG clue for differential diagnosis.

Treatment for when it starts to hit is Zolmitriptan 5mg and 100% Oxygen 12 litters per minute. It makes it go away in 15 minutes. Prophylactic treatment it is still being discussed. Since this bouts of headaches happen during the course of 8 weeks or more if it is not chronic, then will go away for a year or so and then come back. If it is chronic, it lasts the whole time.

Hmmm, good info there. I'd definitely fall into the cluster headaches, with the pacing around, agitated arms etc. Interesting too about the 100% oxygen. I don't know if others have tried this, but when I feel a migraine type headache coming on, particularly an exercise induced one, I spend a few minutes breathing deeply to hyper-ventilate. This makes me light-headed at first, but seems to help a little.

I have read that as many as 25% of migraine (or cluster headache) sufferers could have a hole in the heart (the small hole that exists in premature babies that links the chambers, but normally should close up). This allows de-oxygenated blood to mix with oxygenated blood. Maybe that is relevant here.

I have had only the one severe headache that lasted four days and got a remedy very fast, mentioned her as Epsom salts, for me, so my experience is limited except for early years of mental pain, I'm 56 now.

It was recently suggested to me by my Doc the alcohol headaches may be due to hypertension, and high blood pressure. Makes some sense as both might have vase-constriction (in a way) in common and one may potentiate the other to create an extraordinary effect.

Just something else from an amateur at this

LeoVF; I wholeheartedly agree controlled and (what is called the 'complete Breath' in yoga, especially) has a significant effect on the state of mind, and no less the headaches - which might suggest a lack of oxygen may be a contributing factor? What do you think? If so what causes the lack of oxygen?

PS I for one used this breathing technique for a long time to calm my mind.

After a little research I found Alcohol is both a vaso -constrictor and dilator at different concentrations. Could it be possible for some it is a constrictor at low amounts for some and so inhibits the delivery of oxygen to the brain with attendant consequences?

Which might be induced by other factors such as meds or foods. Just an idea

PS I haven't had a headache since, nor have I done much more than tend the garden - on those accassions. And aged, 16yo Port oak barrel aged with 20% alc, is my preference, no more than a 373ml bottle at most at one time over a 5-6hr span. Just for info.

Have any of you ever taken an antibiotic? My intolerance started after taking a fluorquinolone Cipro, headaches come on a few hours and last 18 hours post consuming. Just curious on antibiotic, screwed my drinking...,

Forgot to mention, lots of drugs contain fluoride compounds, these compromise your stomach, aka or ruin it, the stomach is where you absorb most/all of serotonin. We all know that low serotonin causes headaches. Not sure where alcohol factors into this, but I know for a fact that I didn't get these stupid headaches until I got "floxed" by Cipro. It ruined my stomach for a few weeks, hurt like hell after just eating. After stomach is comprimised, you cant absorb serotonin. I have stopped drinking for up to 2 weeks and feel remarkable, comparatively. if I have a couple drinks, same ole thing. Social drinking bites me, but I to strive for answers and look for a day I can enjoy a beer and not worry about the headache.

I want to increase serotonin levels naturally and see how/if that helps.

I'm 47 years old, and for 20 years I drank 8-12 drinks a week, usually beer or wine. A few years a go I cut back to maybe 2 a week for about two years. For the past three years I get horrible headaches with nausea, sometimes vomiting, in the sinus area, about once a month if I drank more than three beers or wine. Lasts up to two days. It has become worse, now even one beer or glass of wine and I get an immediate headache, when it used to come on the next day. And now it is every time I drink, and I tried all the different types of alcohol. I took a tyrosine one day and that brought on a terrible headache. I ate two candy bars the other day and that brought one on too in the middle of the night. I am going to try the salt water inhalation, the probiotics, cut sugar and wheat(which is very hard to do long term for me), as well as the b and c vitamins, evening primrose oil and fish oil and inositol powder. I think the post on love and self-acceptance is key and also exercise. I do think this is sinus related as well as low seratonin, and I think for nordic people the evening primrose oil is very good, must be taken consistently, as it raises the levels of prostaglandin E, I believe. In the past I took the inositol powder at night in water, it tastes mildly sweet, and it gives a relaxed happy feeling. I will post my progress, but I must say, I have never heard of anyone having this problem and I would like to be able to drink at least once a month which I find spiritually beneficial haha without being ill for two days.

The eye sight thing for me is a moot point. I went 32 years without glasses and had these headaches all the time. My mother told me the same thing, now with glasses and 4 months later, I see much clearer, but with same headaches. Glasses are not the cause

Just signed up after coming home with a headache after one pint of Kilkenney. Used to be able to drink beer with no problem, but there were always some that gave headaches right away: Kirin, Sapporo, Ebisu, whereas Asahi didn't (though it does now).

I lived in Japan and now in Singapore. Can't drink Tiger, ALWAYS get "Tiger Head", but could usually drink English and Irish beer.

There are so many comments it will take time to go through them all, it's just good to know I'm not alone as I'm tired of being the Not Fun Guy when going out.

Am still in search of the magical drink that doesn't result in either an instant or delayed headache. I don't drink much, maybe one beer or wine a week, maybe two if I'm indulging, but even this results in a headache 80% of the time.

Interesting point: Whenever I go to Thailand I drink Singha, and more than one, and rarely get headaches. This is a beer many claim gives them headaches, there's even an Urban Myth about formaldehyde as a preservative in it.

I'm 50-something now, about 6-7 years ago I started drinking more than I did prior, because I had just moved to Singapore and was still single, and went out a lot drinking with friends. But for the past 5-6 years went back to being a teetotaler.

During that time I'd drink wine, 1-3 glasses a night, and always had a glass of water with me. I almost never got headaches.

I know everyone knows about water and rehydrating, and I don't think it works for me when drinking beer. partly because beer has so much volume its hard to drink so much water with it.

So I'm searching for the ultimate drink and ultimate headache prophylactic.

My headaches are usually at the top of the neck.

Other things to consider (that may have been already mentioned):
- eyesight
- clenching

I got a mouthguard after waking up with headaches (nothing to do with drinking, would happen any time). It helps.

One other consideration might be to have a list of all the common symptoms, triggers, and which drinks people seem ok with. Of course not all things will / won't work for all people, but there must be some common ground somewhere.

I had farewell drinks for a friend last night and wanted to drink more than one and not be a wet towel; I have a social event today and will 'need' to drink. Fortunately, after taking my strong headache medicine (Arcoxia) at bedtime I feel ok now, but that does not always work.

The best thing is prevention upfront. I will try ibuprofen before drinks today, hydrate, and stay away from beer. I'll continue reading the comments for ideas on what to drink.

BANG! Your 4am headaches, same time everyday, can only be 1 thing, & that is, what is known as a cluster headache. I started getting them over 30 years ago. BUT, YOUR HEADACHES, should also be so severe, that they usually will start in ur jaw, & very quickly rise to the ear, then to the back of ur eyeball. The pain should resemble something like a hot pick like someone is sticking it thru ur eyeball. If the pain isnt that bad, then it probably isnt cluster headaches. Cluster headackes usually come at the same time like clock work. Mine would always come after a hard days labor, & as i would start to fall asleep, or in my sleep this is when they would come. They say these headackes last between 1-3 hours. Mine were worse, & unfortunately would last 8-10 hours, twice a day. I would get them even if i didnt drink, but alcohol, & cigarettes r good triggers. Mine were first brought on by carbon monoxide poisoning(someone had their car running, in his garage, & never told me, & i was wondering why i kept getting dizzy, & sick? then he told me) Well, it took another year before i actually started getting the headackes. Also, please note, i worked with notious fumes, plus highly toxix paints all my life. Supposedly no cure for them, but if u want a preventative med, verapamil, & predizone therapy, along with high doses of oxygyn. I found out i could change the time of day, with ritalin also. Told my neurolist, & he said, thats funny, they r doing tests on that! Also, if u live in the UK, sancert will off set them. It is banned, now in the USA. Sancert is a sister drug to LSD, plus u will have to have ur bloodwork checked twice a year. I could go on, & on with diffent info. To date, no one has died from this disease. I suggest, if urs were as bad as mine, to first get a good neurolist. Second, go on line, & purchase a Medifocus Guide, on cluster headaches. Once u purchace it, u will have free acses to all their newist updates for the rest of ur life. My last bout, with these headackes were like urs, but mine were everyday, at 6 am. I thought it was strange cas this bout i was lucky enough to puke after an hour, which reduced the swelling in my ankles? So, i brought my brother up from 3000 miles away, so he could witness my death.(thats how bad my pain was, & i handle pain quite well, n never panic. It is a good thing i did so, cas i woke him up while i ws having 1 in my sleep. Turned out, blood was also coming out of my eye, n nose. It was same severe pain, but the blood was new. Turned out it was cluster headackes, BUT, same time, it was also a brain blead. Im still alive. Usually for NMS, the life span is 1 month. Next, is an anorism of the brain, where ur lucky u might go a year. Ive noticed, simple task, like adding, spelling , uncontrolled amounts of sleep, n so on. If i do die, soon, then i guess, i will be the first person, ever to die from cluster headackes! I suggest u first get a good neuolist. If he is stupid, he will try to put u on possibly anti-psycotic drugs, which caused me distonia, brain blead, cateracts, glacoma, & an enlarge prostate. GOOD LUCK!

Good news everybody, I've found relief without having to take something before/after I drink! Unfortunately, there are 2 possible fixes here and I don't have any solid evidence that it's one versus the other, just a hunch. The 2 things that may have helped are seeing a chiropractor(for stress relief) and killing off some of the excess candida(yeast) in my gut. I believe it's candida, but I'm not 100% sure. Also, I should note that I stopped taking Kudzu Root as I found I had withdrawal symptoms if I forgot to take it, which I took as a very bad sign.

When I finally visited a chiropractor for the first time in my life in an attempt to help with headaches that were starting to happen daily unrelated to drinking, they told me that I had 3400% pressure in the muscles in my neck when the normal range is 20% to 30%. This could be a stress or posture problem, but my posture is decent; not perfect, but not 3400% wrong. After a couple of adjustments, within the first week, the daily headaches were gone. Unfortunately, I wasn't drinking during this time as I had started taking Candex, which helps kill off candida, and probiotics.

Now, I've done a ton of research on candida, but long story short, it is yeast that exists naturally in your body and is usually kept in check by healthy bacteria. If, however, you feed the yeast too often(by eating high carb foods most meals and/or drinking a lot of alcohol, especially beer) and/or have low counts of healthy bacteria, then the yeast can grow out of control. There are a number of symptoms of this when it gets really bad, which is when the yeast outgrows the gut and reaches other organs, but I believe that I only have a mild case at this point, thankfully. In addition to taking Candex(or some other candida killer) and probiotics, it is suggested that one changes their diet to not feed the yeast; The Candida Diet(http://www.thecandidadiet.com) has a solid guideline. You're supposed to strictly follow the diet for a month or more, but unless you have a really bad case of it, I've found that you can cheat every few days without much backlash.

As I said, I'm not sure which really helped...and maybe both did to some extent, but I believe candida is the main issue because I had headaches for 2 days after starting Candex(a well known sign that it's killing off the yeast). Then after taking Candex for a week without changing my diet I was able to drink 1 day without issue, but not 2 in a row. And after changing my diet for 1 week along with taking Candex, I was able to drink 1-3 beers for a week straight without issue(while not taking Candex nor probiotics), but on day 8, after 1 beer I started to get a slight headache 30 minutes later.

Regardless of which one fixed it, I'm going to continue with both of them for the foreseeable future. If there's anything more to report, I shall return, but if anyone has questions, feel free to e-mail me: ***@****

Hi Dayle...while my migraines can occur anytime, they often occur most aggressively after drinking alcohol. Many times in my life I have thought I may have candida overgrowth due to taking a lot of antibiotics for acne control in my youth. Did you go through the whole candida diet process? I have tried and failed so many times, but I'm about to get married and I really want to start off my married life migraine free! You mention taking candex. After doing some research, I am going to try Syntol. I figure I have nothing to lose.

I have only gone through the diet process for about 10 days and I cheated minimally on 1 meal every 3 days or so(for example, I had a banana one day). Luckily, my case was only mild, so I was able to get a lot of relief with a not so strict regimen. From my understanding, though, when the overgrowth is more severe, the diet needs to be followed longer and more strictly to get relief. I have also heard that candida can be the cause of daily migraines, so if candida is the cause then I would assume you have a more severe case than I do. My suggestion would be to take the candida killer; stay away from eating breads and sugars at all costs; also stay away from fruits and starchy vegetables as much as possible; and lastly, be sure to get plenty of probiotics each day(pills, greek yogurt, cultured coconut milk, etc.). Also, be sure to not to ingest the probiotics within 2 hours before or after taking the candida killer.

Even if you cheat every few days, don't get discouraged, that's perfectly natural. Just stick to it to the best of your ability for at least 10 days and see if you get any relief. If it helps you at all, the migraine relief alone might be enough to encourage you to stick to the diet better and longer.

Thank you Dayle! I cannot believe the change in my system after taking Syntol AMD for about 2 weeks now. I've also been seeing my chiropractor regularly. My migraines have decreased to a tenth of what I was experiencing before. I cannot believe that between all my clinical and homeopathic doctors none of them ever brought up candida as being a factor. Even in NAET testing, I've been told to steer clear of gluten, but they never brought up candida. Anyway, so far so good with bi-weekly chiro treatments and Syntol AMD 3x a day between meals. I'm not following a candida diet but do limit breads and starches to a minimum.

So glad to hear it's working well for you! I can now report that this has definitely been helping me! I'm still trying to stick with the diet to some extent; regularly eating greek yogurt and plenty of vegetables, while avoiding bread, beer, and sugary foods for the most part. In the past 2 weeks, I've drank varying amounts of alcohol each night and the only sort of headache I've gotten was the normal dehydration based hangover the next morning if I failed to drink a few glasses of water that night. Extremely mild compared to the horrendous pounding migraine I used to get 30 minutes to an hour after drinking. If you guys haven't tried this, yet, you owe it to yourself to at least see if candida is the cause of your ails.

This is an interesting departure from our previous posts.
I have to say that, since starting this in 2008, I think we've all gradually run out of steam, having seemingly exhausted all pills, potions and posture theories. Personally, I have around a dozen or so now-discarded 'miracle cures as we've all tried to search a cure for this.
I really do think, after those five years of trawling, collating and postings though that a large part of our problem has been that some of us are 'simply' suffering from pure migraine or cluster headache problems - which I am starting to believe do not have any common relevance apart from being exacerbated by alcohol.
For myself, I am pretty much convinced now that the posture you mention in one of your posts is the root cause of my problems - once again, accentuated by alcohol in some way.
I have been diagnosed with the same sort of cervical degeneration I suppose we all start to suffer from as we get older (in my case, C2). It seems to be accepted that one of the most common referral pain patterns from the upper cervical facet joints is pain going into the head. Typically, this pain begins at the base of the skull and radiates up the skull and sometimes to the eye. Familiar?
I also have Type 2 diabetes and am still not convinced that varying blood sugar levels don't play a part somewhere in the equation either.
But this is where I think we can all fall into the trap of just lumping all headaches together maybe? There are many different causes for them...it's just unfortunate for all of us that booze makes 'em worse!

For the past 5 years I've suffered from debilitating migraines after drinking any amount of alcohol ( usually wine). It didn't happen every time, but enough that I would only have a drink on a very special occasion. I also got migraines from rapid swings in barometric pressure... I always thought there was some connection between weather and alcohol triggering the pain. I recently switched to a gluten free diet and my migraines COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED! In hindsight it was never the alcohol, but the bread, pizza, pasta, pastries etc. that all contained gluten that were causing my migraines.

I can drink wine now without any repercussions! Obviously beer is out of the question because of the gluten (barley).

If you haven't already tried eliminating gluten from your diet, give it a try for a few weeks and see how it goes!

That's yet another suggestion we haven't seen before - and therefore just as interesting to see just how many of our sufferers benefit from going 'gluten-free'.
Keep it all coming - we WILL succeed people! Who needs medics?

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